AU convenes summit to reverse alarming biodiversity losses
Gaborone, Botswana (PANA) – The African Union (AU), jointly with the government of Botswana, is convening Africa’s first ever summit to discuss measures required to stop the loss of the continent’s wildlife species, threatened by poaching, illegal hunting and marine pollution.
Experts drawn from the continent and the world kicked off the preparatory segment of the inaugural Africa Biodiversity Summit, dedicated to discussions about the challenges facing the continent and how it could utilise its vast wildlife and mineral wealth to flourish.
“This gathering marks a pivotal moment in our efforts to define Africa’s vast heritage as architects of an African future defined by ecological conservation as the cornerstone of sustainable development,” Harsen Nyambe, Director of Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment at the African Union Commission, said on Sunday, during an experts' meeting.
The Summit, 2-5 November 2025 in Gaborone, has attracted prominent experts and wildlife conservationists, climate change experts and sustainable development campaigners, to discuss policies required to reverse the damage posed by uncontrolled utilization of green resources.
“Ecosystems and biodiversity are under threat from uncontrolled exploitation,” Nyambe stated in his opening speech at the experts’ segment of the Summit. “Researchers must engage rigorously to craft strategies that would shape the outcome of the Summit.”
The African Union Commission (AUC) is expected to table the African Biodiversity Framework, whose aim is to elaborate a series of measures that are urgently required to be undertaken by the countries in the continent to address the root causes of the biodiversity loss.
The biodiversity losses result from the introduction of foreign substances, notably, invasive plants, which tend to completely destroy the organic plants in existence in the continent.
The proposed framework, once approved at the Gaborone Summit, is expected to propel the urgent need to stop the loss of wildlife species, fisheries, marine resources such as coral reefs.
The strategy proposes to all countries in the continent to ensure conservation of wildlife, forestry and agricultural resources are pushed to the frontline of policy action across all sectors.
According to the strategy, demands for wildlife, hunting and wild meat harvesting have drastically reduced wildlife populations, with an estimated 1.6 - 4.6 million tonnes of wild meat extracted each year in Central Africa, and illegal ivory trade doubling from 2007 to 2015.
Equally, demands for wood energy remain high, accounting for more than 80% of primary energy supply, with more than 90% of the population depending on fuelwood and charcoal for energy and cooking.
Regarding opportunities for markets and value addition, Africa is the only continent that derives most of its value from nature through primary production.
In terms of pollution, plastics constitute 10% of solid waste across the continent due to its extensive use and weak management, according to the AU.
Another critical challenge faced by the continent is soil degradation which has led to reduced incomes and wellbeing amongst small-scale farmers.
Leo Niskanen, Regional Head of Biodiversity Conservation at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (ICUN), noted that while Africa’s biodiversity was outstanding due to its source as the home of mammals and the big five wildlife – lion, leopards, cape buffalo, elephant and black rhino – as well as its natural wealth, only 20% of the species requiring protection were currently covered.
A decline in the wildlife population was alarming with 38% of animal species on the verge of going extinct due to uncontrolled utilization and exploitation.
-0- PANA AO/MA 3Nov2025
