IPBES writing workshop in one of South Africa's strategic water source areas

Around 70 authors and experts of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) regional assessment for Africa met in February for a writing workshop at the majestic Golden Gate National Park in South Africa hosted by the Technical Support Unit for Africa at the CSIR. This was a critical meeting where authors from different chapters could integrate findings from previous/future chapters and work on their key messages which will be important for the drafting of the IPBES Summary for Policy makers.

While the facilitators had us writing away, the beauty of landscape reminded us about why we are working so hard to ensure that the protection of Africa's biodiversity and ecosystem services is taken into account in future development decisions. The Golden Gate National Park is located in one of South Africa's Strategic Water Source Areas and is a vital shared water resource for South Africa and Lesotho. We left with more comprehensive, Africa-relevant content and a roadmap for making the Africa regional assessment an important tool for decision makers. For more information on IPBES, please visit www.ipbes.net