Tropical Biology Association

This project focuses on bringing local & foreign specialists together at the heart of conservation in Africa, giving them the skills and support they need to be effective on the ground. In short, we’re helping to build real leaders in a continent that desperately needs it.

2022 - 2023

The work on the ground is managed by the Tropical Biology Association, a well regarded training & research group linked to Cambridge University. In their words…

… our training enables scientists, project managers and educators, working in the tropics, to manage and safeguard biodiversity, long term.

It’s what they call capacity building for conservation. Their approach is unique because their participants and tutors are multi cultural, 50% from Africa and 50% from elsewhere. Local specialists work alongside international experts.

Their approach slightly contrasts with where a lot of the big money environmental funding currently goes, which is often invested in discrete projects that aim to achieve tightly focused outcomes. The downside of these projects is that they can encourage dependency and the final impact is not always sufficient to ensure long term benefits.

The specific aim of this project is to build leadership capacity in freshwater monitoring for smarter water management in Africa. The host country is yet to be decided but we do know it will be in one which is designated as a United Nations Least Developed Country (LDC). The point being that Kenya and other reasonably developed African Nations already have water management and conservation initiatives that are growing and sustainable. The training will likely focus around the rivers that drain into a lake or delta, crucial breeding grounds for migratory fish, birds, amphibians and mammals. The rivers / streams ultimately determine the water quality and ecosystem integrity of the lake itself.

Here is a short video which we feel gives a good idea of the empowerment and leadership which can be developed. You can also find out more about the work the TBA does by going to their website: www.tropical-biology.org