Terrestrial and marine ecosystems are essential for preserving life on Earth. In particular, forests, wetlands, mountains, and arid lands provide many ecosystem services—clean air and water, food, biodiversity, and climate change mitigation.
Today, there is natural resources depletion, loss of biodiversity and ecosystem degradation due to anthropogenic pressure. Deforestation, desertification, and pollution of marine ecosystems lead to the loss of valuable habitats, clean water reduction, land degradation and soil erosion.
The purpose of the session is to identify and analyze the main approaches and strategies to prevent the loss of ecosystem services of terrestrial and marine ecosystems in the African region.
Figures and Facts
2.6 billion people directly depend on agriculture, but 52 percent of agricultural land is moderately or severely degraded.
Life and activities of more than three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity.
Globally, the market value of marine and coastal resources and industries is estimated at $3 trillion a year, or about 5% of global GDP.
About 1.6 billion people, including 70 million indigenous peoples, rely on forests for their livelihoods.
The oceans absorb about 30% of the carbon dioxide produced by humans, which helps neutralize the global warming effects.
Between 10 and 20 million tons of the world’s plastics end up in the oceans.
Discussion Issues
Analysis of the causes of degradation of terrestrial and marine ecosystems in Africa.
Sustainable land management, including agricultural land.
Economic tools for regulating the state of ecosystems.
Application of innovative remote sensing methods for monitoring the state of terrestrial and marine ecosystems in Africa.
Integrated waste management.
Elimination of accumulated damage to the environment.
Microplastic pollution of marine ecosystems.
Opening Remarks
Anna Popkova (Russia)
Institute of Environmental Engineering, RUDN University
Deputy Director
Abel Ramoelo (South Africa)
Centre for Environmental Studies (CFES), University of Pretoria (RSA)
Director
Key Speakers
Report
Modern Technologies to Evaluate Soil Quality in Arid Regions: Case Study of Egypt
Elsayed Said Mohamed Salama (Egypt)
National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (Egypt)
Professor
Report
Landscape and Environmental Research for Sustainable Development in Africa
Roman Gorbunov (Russia)
Federal Research Centre “Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of South Seas”
Director
Report
Integrated Waste Management in Zimbabwe
Anthony Phiri (Zimbabwe)
Environmental Management, Renewable Energy and Climate Change Center, Harare Institute of Technology
Director
Report
Atomic and Nuclear Techniques to study Impact of Micro plastic in Marine Environments
Inayá Corrêa Barbosa Lima (Brazil)
Polytechnic School, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
Professor
Report
Environmental Microplastic Degradation Leaching Products: A Potential Threat to Coastline Plants
Khawla Chouchene (Tunisia)
University of Sfax
Research Fellow
Report
Persistent Organic Pollutants in Fish Biota: case study of Guanabara Bay at Rio-de-Janeiro, Brazil
Fabio Luiz Peres Krykhtine (Brazil)
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
Special Coordinator of International Affairs with the Russian Federation
Young scientists
Report
Exploring the Integration of the Land, Water, and Energy Nexus in Sustainable Food Systems Research Through a Socio-Economic Lens
Matilda Azong Cho (South Africa)
University of Pretoria
Postdoc
Report
An Ecosystem Approach for Conservation of the Kakamega Forest in Western Kenya
Martin Mamboleo (Kenya)
Institute of Environmental Engineering, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba
Assistant, Department of Environmental Safety and Product Quality Management
Report
Sustainable land management: improving agricultural practices in Zimbabwe
Mcdonald Nhakura (Zimbabwe)
Harare Institute of Technology
PhD student, Centre for Environmental Management, Renewable Energy and Climate Change
Report
The Impact of Soil Bioactivation on its Granulometric Composition and Crop Production Sustainability in the Arid Conditions of Steppe Zone: case study of Kabardino-Balkarian Republic
Milana Aznaeva (Russia)
Center for decarbonization of the agro-industrial complex and regional economy, Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after. HM. Berbekova<
aboratory research assistant
Questions, answers
STUDENTS
Students
ESG Agenda Topics
Introduction of the green economy concept, in particular mechanisms related to the prevention of ecosystem service and biodiversity loss.
Improving the regulatory framework, including those related to new challenges, such as ocean pollution with microplastics.
Improving environmental legislation in the face of new challenges.
Ecosystem services: special aspects of legal regulation and economic evaluation.
