The Future Ecosystems for Africa (FEFA) program co-funded the IPBES Nature Futures Framework workshop in partnership with the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL). The workshop was organized by the the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Taskforce on Scenarios and Models and hosted at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) Rural Facility from 14 to 17 November 2022. The main aim of the workshop was to provide input for the revision of methodological guidance of the Nature Futures Framework (NFF) and provide feedback on its use from various case studies and fields of expertise.

Associate Professor Laura Pereira co-facilitated the hosting of the workshop through her position as a member of the IPBES Taskforce and as the FEFA Co-Principal Investigator, a program funded by the Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation (OGRC). Further, three PhD students from the Wits Global Change Institute (GCI), Senankpon Stephane Tcheton (FEFA funded), Joyce Ojino (Exxaro Funded) and Mulako Kabisa (FEFA funded) provided support as rapporteurs for all sessions during the workshop.

Some of the main outcomes include establising an NFF community of practice where experiences will be shared, and events organized to further develop and operationalise the NFF and a further catalysation of scenarios and models. In addition, a need for better articulation and clarity on the linkages between climate change and biodiversity, and with this, a more active collaboration between the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and IPBES scenarios and models experts.

For a full report on the IPBES Nature Futures Framework workshop, use the following link: https://www.ipbes.net/events/ipbes-nature-futures-framework-workshop