Biodiversity Newsflash 142
November and December 2024
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1 | Belgian One Health Event: Registration and Poster Submissions
This upcoming Belgian One Health event will address interdisciplinary ecosystem, animal, and human health issues. The event will focus on the role environmental factors play in influencing possible pathways for the emergence of infectious diseases, as well as prevention, early warning mechanisms, and effective preparedness solutions.
The overarching topics will be:
- Biodiversity loss and climate change
- Impact of wildlife trade
- Risks associated with Invasive Alien Species
- Data and monitoring approaches.
The event is aimed at experts and stakeholders interested in intersectoral cooperation, administrators, and policy makers.
REGISTER HERE!
Registration fee (non-refundable) : €125 (€50 for PhD students)
To submit a poster for this event, please fill out the submission form here.
Before submitting your poster, please don’t forget to read the concept note for more information about the focus of this event.
Deadline for poster submissions is Wednesday, 8 January 2025.
🗓 22-23 January 2025
📍Brussels
More info
For further information, please contact Dominique Vandekerchove One Health expert, at the Belgian Biodiversity Platform & Sciensano.
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2 | IPBES Call for Upcoming Methodological Assessment of Integrated Biodiversity-inclusive Spatial Planning and Ecological Connectivity
IPBES calls for experts and fellows for the upcoming Methodological Assessment of Integrated Biodiversity-inclusive Spatial Planning and Ecological Connectivity.
IPBES is calling for experts and fellows to submit their application to be nominated for the Spatial Planning and Ecological Connectivity Assessment. Experts and fellows that would like to be nominated by Belgium are highly encouraged to contact the IPBES NFP for further information and support with the application. More information on the call can be found at these links:
FellowsDeadline to submit applications: 10 January 2025.
3 | Upcoming: Two new IPBES assessments are launching
In December 2024, two landmark new IPBES assessment reports will be considered for approval at the eleventh session of the IPBES Plenary in Windhoek, Namibia. They are the IPBES #NexusAssessment and #TransformativeChange Assessment reports.
The Nexus Assessment tackles the intertwined global crises of biodiversity, water, food, health, and climate change, a truly ambitious work to bridge single-issue siloes. The Transformative Change Assessment focuses on the underlying causes of the biodiversity crisis, the determinants of change, and options for achieving a system-wide reorganisation for just and sustainable futures.
4 | Save The Date: Belgian IPBES Day
Save the date for our Belgian IPBES Day on 19 March 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. During this event, we plan to present the new IPBES Nexus and Transformative Change assessments and discuss with researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and experts what these assessments mean in the Belgian context.
Mark your calendars so you can join us on 19 March 2025 to talk all things IPBES, Nexus. and Transformative Change.
The registration link and further information about the program will follow in January 2025.
For further information, please contact Anna Heck, Science-Policy Officer, with the Belgian Biodiversity Platform
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5 | DISSCO's FAIR Research Management Playbook is Public
DiSSCo has just made public its FAIR Research Data Management Playbook, designed as a template to help organizations implement best practices in managing research data following the FAIR principles.
The playbook is a practical guide to make research data Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) across various stages of the data lifecycle.
The playbook provides a flexible structure that you can adapt to your organization’s specific data management needs. It’s not a strict policy document but a living resource that can evolve with your projects, data types, and technologies.
Take a look at DISSCO's FAIR playbook here.
Learn more here.
For further information, please contact André Heughebaert, IT Coordinator & GBIF HoD, at the Belgian Biodiversity Platform. |
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6 | BiodivNBS: €40 million investment in 34 projects
Biodiversa+ has officially announced the results of its BiodivNBS call, with the funding of 34 research projects. A substantial investment of over €40 to advance Nature-based Solutions (NbS).
Save the date for the kick-off meeting on 9 April 2025, to learn all about these projects.
More
8 | Update of the NbS Knowledge Gaps DatabaseWorking with NetworkNature, Biodiversa+ has expanded the Nature-based Solutions Knowledge Gaps Database. It now covers 619 gaps, categorised by types & themes. And with refined screening, it offers better insights! More
9 | Rewatch: BiodivHealth final conferenceIn November, Biodiversa+ hosted the final conference of its BiodivHealth call, investigating the critical link between biodiversity and the health of humans, animals, and plants. Watch the recording for the latest research, insightful case studies, and discussions on bridging science and policy! More |
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11 | LifeWatch NewsProfile: The GUM (Ghent University Museum & Botanical Garden) The GUM (Ghent University Museum & Botanical Garden) is the first university museum in Flanders, located within Ghent's Botanical Garden. It serves as a "Forum for Science, Doubt & Art," showcasing how scientists think and work through its collections, which highlight the importance of critical thinking and the interplay of science and art. Originating from over 200 years of academic history, the museum houses more than 400,000 items previously dispersed across university departments. The museum utilizes the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) to ensure the scientific accuracy of its zoological data. Since opening in 2020, the GUM continues to evolve as a hub for science, education, and public engagement. Read more here. Taking the next step: In-situ imaging data through the Video Plankton RecorderThe Video Plankton Recorder (VPR), integrated with the LifeWatch infrastructure aboard the RV Simon Stevin, provides real-time imaging of plankton in their natural habitat, enhancing research on biodiversity and ecosystem health in Belgian coastal waters. Anouk Ollevier’s PhD research focuses on leveraging the VPR to study plankton ecology, particularly in turbid environments, and to assess vertical migration patterns and plankton’s role as bioindicators. Advanced tools, including BioSenseMongoDB and image recognition algorithms, manage the large datasets generated by the VPR, facilitating scientific validation and quality control. This research contributes significantly to understanding marine ecosystems and monitoring environmental changes. Read more here. For further information, please contact Leendert Plaetinck, Communication Officer at The Belgian Biodiversity Platform
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 Biodiversity around the world! Each month we present interesting news items from around the globe.
Fenced in: How a million kilometres of invisible borders are harming wildlifeFences can fragment habitats and disrupt ecosystems, as seen in Białowieża Forest, where a border barrier blocks wildlife movement, reduces genetic diversity, and alters vegetation. Globally, fences often favor adaptable species while harming delicate ones. To reduce their impact, experts recommend adaptable designs and virtual fencing. Urban fences can also support biodiversity through features like wildlife holes or climbing plants, balancing human needs with ecological preservation. 'Biodiversity in not a luxury': Connection between wealth and ecosystem healthA new study challenges the notion that biodiversity is a "luxury" linked to wealth, proposing instead that biodiversity can be actively cultivated through social and ecological actions. Researchers developed the POSE framework, emphasizing Power, Objectives, Social/Ecological context, and Effort, to highlight how communities, regardless of wealth, can influence biodiversity. Decisions about land use, whether by city planners or individual homeowners, play a key role. Collective organizing and increased effort can help less affluent communities overcome resource limitations to create healthier, biodiverse landscapes. Managing forests with smart technologyDeforestation continues to threaten biodiversity, natural resources, and human well-being, with primary forests accounting for 16% of global tree cover loss in the last 20 years. In response, Lithuanian and Swedish scientists have developed Forest 4.0, an intelligent system combining blockchain, IoT, and AI to revolutionize forest management. This system enables real-time monitoring of forest health, biodiversity, and illegal activities while ensuring sustainable resource use and supply chain transparency. Despite challenges like high costs and resistance to innovation, Forest 4.0 offers a promising global model for sustainable forestry, aiming to create thriving, resilient forest ecosystems.
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