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Biodiversity Newsflash 143
January 2025
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Last week, the BeOH event ‘Ecosystems in the Balance – Supporting Future Policy and Research’ welcomed 126 experts from 12 countries and diverse disciplines, from research institutions and academia, but also private enterprises, NGOs and different government levels. They gathered to discuss pressing issues and challenges around biodiversity loss, climate change, wildlife trade, risks related to Invasive Alien Species, and surveillance in the context of One Health through excellent presentations, interactive workshops and a lively panel discussion.
The starting point was ecosystems, but the outcomes of the discussions have certainly provided useful inputs for researchers in public health and animal health too, as well as health professionals, policy makers and other stakeholders implementing a OneHealth approach.
This is fully in line with the basic requirements for OneHealth, which are capacity building, collaboration, coordination and communication (OHHLEP).
The event’s report is now available on the BeOH event’s webpage.
This event was a huge success thanks to the Belgian Biodiversity Platform, Sciensano, Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment and Pasteur Network, all the speakers, moderators, note takers, and participants for their contributions and for making this event such a success!
For further information, please contact Dominique Vandekerchove, One Health coordinator at the Belgian Biodiversity Platform and Sciensano. |
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The 2025 Ebbe Nielsen Challenge is now open for submissions - with €20,000 in shared prizes.
Individuals and teams are invited to showcase innovative tools and techniques that increase the accessibility, quality, and usability of open biodiversity data - whether newly developed or improvements to existing ones.
Named in honour of Dr Ebbe Schmidt Nielsen, a leader in biosystematics and biodiversity informatics, and founder of GBIF.
Deadline: 7 September 2025
Submit your entry and help shape the future of biodiversity data!
Read more about this exciting opportunity here.
For further information, please contact André Heughebaert.
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Register for the Belgian IPBES Day here!
In December 2024, two landmark IPBES assessment reports were approved at the eleventh session of the IPBES Plenary in Windhoek, Namibia.
Join us on 19 March 2025 in Brussels for Belgian IPBES Day! This event will showcase these latest IPBES assessments:
🔍 Nexus Assessment: Exploring the interconnections between biodiversity, water, food, health, and climate change.
You can look forward to presentations by IPBES authors, interactive discussions with experts, and networking opportunities.
📅 Register now and learn more here.
For questions, contact Anna Heck, IPBES Belgian National Focal Point.
IPBES calls for experts and fellows for the upcoming Second Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services IPBES is calling for experts and fellows to submit their application to be nominated for the Second Global 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 on the application. More information on the call can be found at the relevant link: ➡️ Experts➡️ FellowsDeadline to submit applications: 28 March 2025
For further information, please contact Anna Heck, Science-Policy Officer, with the Belgian Biodiversity Platform.
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The IUCN Belgian Focal Point has started preparations for the IUCN World Conservation Congress taking place in Abu Dhabi 9 – 15 October 2025. Ten years after the Paris Agreement and three years on from the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at the Conference of the Parties, the Congress will be a pivotal event shaping tomorrow’s conversation. The Congress includes three main components: the Members’ Assembly, the Forum, and the Exhibition. Please consult the provisional Congress agenda here for more information. Registration for the Congress is set to open in March 2025. For more information on the WCC and how to participate, contact Divija Jata, Coordinator, IUCN Belgian Focal Point.
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6 | Biodiversa+ briefs on biodiversity and health
How does biodiversity shape our health? Biodiversa+ has released three policy briefs exploring its impact on food production, disease regulation, and overall well-being. From zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance to agriculture and ecosystem services—these briefs cover it all. 
Read the briefs here
Biodiversa+ is hosting two major online events on Nature-based Solutions (NbS), and registrations are now open! 📅 8 April 2025 – Science-Policy Forum: How can NbS drive the Global Biodiversity Framework forward? Explore existing initiatives, implementation strategies, policy support, and more. Register now📅 9 April 2025 – BiodivNBS Kick-off: Meet the future of NbS! Join for presentations from 34 newly funded projects and thematic panel discussions. Register now
8 | Boost your biodiversity data skills!
Biodiversa+ has just released the recordings of two workshops. 📌 Data management: Learn all about Data Management Plans, Open Science, FAIR principles, and the role of GBIF. Watch now📌 Darwin Core: Tackle data fragmentation with best practices for knowledge sharing, ontologies, open repositories, and more. Watch now
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 Biodiversity around the world! Each month we present interesting news items from around the globe.
Cartilaginous fish, which include sharks and rays and relatives, have roamed the world's oceans for around 450 million years. Yet today, more than a third of all species are seriously threatened by overfishing and habitat destruction. Their extinction would have profound consequences for many ecosystems. An international research team has investigated whether and how global warming influences the biodiversity of rays and sharks, using past climate fluctuations over million years as a reference. The study reveals that, while warmer temperatures and more shallow water areas can have positive effects on them, rising CO₂ levels clearly affect them negatively. The lead scientist warns that, besides the potential positive effects, modern climate change is happening too fast for these species and their ecosystems to adapt, making it unlikely that they will benefit from global warming.
This webinar will showcase the latest proposed design of the Knowledge Service and seek feedback from Parties and stakeholders on the design, content and connections with other support initiatives. Aa a follow-on from the side event held at COP16 in 2024, many Parties have expressed the need for capacity to be developed to use the monitoring framework and its suite of indicators at the national level. It is therefore imperative that support is provided to Parties to enable the use of the indicators in the monitoring, review and reporting process adopted alongside the GBF at COP15. Attendees have the possibility to choose between two time slots: 12 February 202508:00 – 09:00 GMT Webinar Registration - Zoom18:00 – 19:00 GMT Webinar Registration - Zoom
UNEA-7 charts a path toward a resilient planetAfter a busy year for the global environmental agenda, starting with the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) and ending with the decision-making meetings of the Rio Conventions on climate change, biodiversity and desertification, attention in 2025 will shift to the seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-7). UNEA-7 will take place from 8 to 12 December 2025 at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, on the theme "Advancing sustainable solutions for a resilient planet”.
World's biggest iceberg heads north after escaping vortex
The world’s largest iceberg, A23a, is drifting north, toward South Georgia Island, after being stuck in a vortex for months. Twice the size of Greater London, it broke from Antarctica in 1986 but remained lodged on the seafloor for over 30 years. It began moving in 2020 and is now expected to enter the Atlantic, where warmer waters will break it apart. Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey are studying its impact on marine ecosystems, as giant icebergs can enrich waters with nutrients, fostering life. Researchers aim to understand how the size and origin of icebergs influence this process and provide insights into their role in global oceanic processes.
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