Side Event

ADAPTATION, BIODIVERSITY PRESERVATION, AND COMMUNITY CAPACITY BUILDING THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Organizer
BDA Foundation / DE Design and Environment

Date and Time
27 October 2010 18:15 - 19:45

Meeting
Tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 10)

This event will showcase the work of the BDA (Biotechnology for Development in Africa) Foundation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The BDA approach of creating 'ecopreneurs' who can capitalize on the medicinal products of cultivated trees shows a unique and effective way of creating social, economic, and ecological resilience in Africa. Community members who are project participants as well as BDA team members will present their project and discuss how they are working to make development sustainable in the DRC. Gender empowerment, forest carbon management, biodiversity conservation, and community education are all fundamental aspects of the BDA project and these themes are in line with UN directives in Africa (and elsewhere). The lessons learned from this practical project will show how cross-cutting challenges can be addressed.