African minds gather to regreen the continent – and everyone is welcome to join

22 Aug 2024

22 Aug 2024

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  • On 17 September, Africa’s largest conference on landscape restoration will convene thousands in Nairobi, Kenya, and online
  • Leading experts and practitioners will share African solutions for sustainable agrifood systems, a just transition, technology for land use, AI and much more
  • The GLF Africa 2024 Hybrid Conference: Greening the African Horizon will be conducted in English, Swahili and French

Nairobi, Kenya (22 August 2024) – On 17 September, Africa will present a sustainable path forward to combat the climate crisis and land degradation, safeguard livelihoods and promote self-determination in rural communities.

The GLF Africa 2024 Hybrid Conference: Greening the African Horizon, presented by the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), will convene thousands of participants and hundreds of experts, including leading practitioners, scientists, financiers, policymakers and community leaders, both in person at the World Agroforestry (ICRAF) Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, and online.

They will explore how Africa – home to over 30% of the world’s biodiversity – is shaping the future of three key landscapes: forests and savannas, drylands, and freshwater and oceans.

Key topics to be discussed at GLF Africa 2024 include:

  • Sustainable agrifood systems: Delivering healthy and sustainable food while ensuring decent livelihoods for farming communities
  • Partnerships and finance: Building partnerships to fund Africa’s green transition amid the global climate and biodiversity crises. The continent needs $277 billion in climate finance annually to achieve its climate action goals by 2030
  • Governing the just transition: Creating a greener future that leaves no one behind
  • Scaling landscape restoration: Enhancing locally-led solutions and innovations to address the degradation of over 45% of Africa’s land area
  • Rights and livelihoods in shifting landscapes: Adapting equitably to Africa’s changing landscapes
  • Technology and data: Leveraging AI, data and technology for sustainable land use

View the full agenda here, with more sessions to be announced.

Ahead of three major UN conferences later in 2024, leading African and global experts will explore the continent’s unique opportunity to boost local landscape leadership by building upon its vast natural resources, young population and sustainable landscape solutions and innovations.

“We have existing solutions and the tools to develop new ones that the world truly needs. And if we come together, we can go beyond surviving – to thriving,” said Éliane Ubalijoro, CEO of CIFOR-ICRAF.

Among the experts joining GLF Africa 2024 are:

  • Éliane Ubalijoro, CEO of the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF)
  • Elizabeth Mrema, Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
  • Benjamin Singer, Senior Forest and Land Use Specialist at Green Climate Fund(GCF)
  • Susan Chomba, Director of Vital Landscapes at World Resources Institute(WRI)
  • And more from Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition, The Rockefeller Foundation, FSD Africa, Rights and Resources Initiative, Futurelectand University College London

See the full list of speakers here, with many more to be announced.

Register here for Africa’s biggest conference on landscape restoration in 2024. Learn more at bit.ly/GLFAfrica2024

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NOTES TO EDITORS

  • Apply for a press pass to attend the conference online or in person here: English 0r French
  • Stay tuned to the conference updates, check key messages about the GLF Africa 2024 themes, access the conference images and learn more on the event’s concept note at our newsroom
  • For more information, please contact Kelly Quintero (k.quintero@cifor-icraf.org)

About the GLF

The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) is the world’s largest knowledge-led platform on integrated land use, connecting people with a shared vision to create productive, profitable, equitable & resilient landscapes. It is led by the Center for International Forestry Research-World Agroforestry Centre (CIFOR-ICRAF), in collaboration with its co-founders UNEP and the World Bank, and its charter members. Learn more at www.globallandscapesforum.org.

 

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