Kenya Takes Regional Lead in Biodiversity Action as RCMRD Gains CBD Support Centre Status.

Kenya Takes Regional Lead in Biodiversity Action as RCMRD Gains CBD Support Centre Status.

CS Dr. Deborah Barasa addresses the forum on initiatives to strengthen regional biodiversity action as RCMRD is officially designated a CBD Sub-Regional Support Centre, enhancing Africa’s capacity for science-based monitoring, reporting, and ecosystem restoration.

By Jeff Oyugi.

Nairobi - January 27, 2026.

Kenya has strengthened its position as a regional leader in biodiversity conservation and environmental governance following the official launch of the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) as a Sub-Regional Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centre under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The launch coincided with the opening of a subregional workshop on biodiversity monitoring and reporting in relation to Target 2 of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, bringing together policymakers, scientists and development partners from across Africa.

Speaking at the event, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Dr Deborah Mulongo Barasa, said the designation of RCMRD marked a decisive step in moving global biodiversity commitments from ambition to implementation. She noted that ecosystems across Africa including forests, wetlands, rivers, grasslands and coastal zones, are under growing pressure, with many already severely degraded, posing serious risks to livelihoods, food security, water availability and climate resilience.

Dr Barasa emphasized that ecosystem restoration is not merely an environmental concern but a socio-economic imperative. She said restoration efforts help nature recover while safeguarding livelihoods, supporting agriculture, securing water resources and strengthening resilience to climate change. However, she warned that restoration alone is not enough without credible systems to monitor progress and report results. “The coming years will determine whether restoration commitments become reality or remain promises on paper,” she said, adding that strong monitoring and reporting frameworks are central to accountability under the Global Biodiversity Framework.

She said the adoption of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework marked a fundamental shift in global biodiversity governance by placing emphasis on measurable action, transparent reporting and demonstrable outcomes. Under the framework, progress will increasingly be judged by evidence of impact on the ground rather than policy intent alone. Target 2, which calls for the large-scale restoration of degraded terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine ecosystems by 2030, is particularly critical for Africa, where ecosystems underpin economies and community livelihoods.

According to Dr Barasa, delivering on Target 2 is both technically and financially demanding, requiring clear baselines, harmonised indicators, interoperable data systems and the capacity to aggregate local information into national and global reporting processes, including national reports to the CBD. She said these demands underscore the importance of strong regional institutions such as RCMRD.

She described RCMRD’s designation as timely and strategic, especially as countries prepare for the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to the CBD scheduled for 2026. She said the Centre will play a vital role in helping countries strengthen technical readiness for biodiversity monitoring and reporting, particularly by leveraging geospatial and earth-observation data. It will also support countries to improve the quality and consistency of reporting while aligning national biodiversity strategies with restoration initiatives and global obligations.

As Africa looks ahead to COP 17, Dr Barasa said the continent faces both an opportunity and a responsibility. She said Africa has a chance to demonstrate leadership in ecosystem restoration and shape global biodiversity discourse based on its priorities and realities, but warned that fragmented approaches would weaken the continent’s influence. She called for alignment across countries, institutions and regions to ensure Africa presents a strong, evidence-based voice and attracts sustained technical and financial support.

Dr Barasa also highlighted Kenya’s domestic efforts, noting that ecosystem restoration is firmly embedded in the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which prioritises inclusive growth, job creation and resilience through community-driven initiatives. She cited the 15-billion-trees programme and broader landscape restoration efforts as examples of how biodiversity action can deliver social and economic co-benefits. She said Kenya’s whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach places communities, county governments, faith-based organisations, schools, the private sector and citizens at the centre of restoration while strengthening monitoring and reporting systems.

Principal Secretary in the State Department for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Festus K. Ng’eno, said the regional biodiversity agenda aligns closely with Kenya’s ongoing review of the National Environment Policy of 2013. He said the policy review comes at a critical moment as climate change impacts intensify and challenges such as biodiversity loss, pollution, land degradation, waste management and green financing demand renewed strategic focus.

Dr Ng’eno said the review is a strategic repositioning of Kenya’s environmental governance framework to align with Vision 2030, the Fourth Medium-Term Plan, the Constitution of Kenya and international commitments including the Paris Agreement and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. He noted that environmental sustainability remains a key enabler of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, supporting critical sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, water, energy, tourism and housing.

He said the revised policy will prioritise job creation through green and blue economy opportunities, ecosystem restoration, climate resilience, environmental education, research and innovation. Addressing what he termed the “triple planetary crisis” of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, Dr Ng’eno said the updated policy will integrate sustainable finance, circular economy principles, climate adaptation, natural capital valuation and the use of technology to strengthen environmental monitoring and decision-making.

Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC) Chief Executive Officer Joseph Murabula said the review of the National Environment Policy reflects the need to respond to a rapidly changing global and national context. He said while the 2013 policy anchored the constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment, it was crafted for a different era and did not anticipate the scale and interconnected nature of today’s environmental challenges.

Mr Murabula said emerging solutions such as circular economy models, carbon markets, big data and artificial intelligence must now be embedded in policy. Drawing from KCIC’s experience of supporting more than 3,500 enterprises, he said climate entrepreneurship has proven to be a powerful driver of sustainable development, translating environmental challenges into jobs, resilience and economic opportunity. He urged policymakers to create an enabling environment for climate-smart enterprises, unlock innovative financing and ensure that environmental policy delivers tangible benefits to communities.

The launch of RCMRD as a CBD Sub-Regional Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centre and the opening of the biodiversity monitoring workshop were widely viewed as significant steps toward strengthening Africa’s technical capacity, regional coherence and leadership ahead of COP 17, with Kenya reaffirming its commitment to science-based decision-making, regional cooperation and collective action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.