Post: African minds gather to regreen the continent

September 9, 2024

African minds gather to regreen the continent

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

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, Futurelect and University College London