Biodiversity - Africa's Fighting Chance
Biodiversity - an important theme at this year's Sasol Scifest, the largest
science festival on the African continent
Biodiversity (biological diversity) means "variety of life" and
human history is full of records showing the reliance on biodiversity for the
provision of basic needs. The phrase was coined after the Earth Summit in Rio de
Janeiro in 1992. Exactly ten years later, biodiversity will be placed in the
spotlight again this August with more than 80 000 delegates from all over the
world attending the summit on sustainable living in Johannesburg. Sasol SciFest
2002 will feature biodiversity as one of its main themes and is proud to play
host to experts in the field.
The abundance of biodiversity in Africa, together with the availability of
new technologies, offers Africa the best opportunity to become prosperous. Dr
John Kilama is founder and president of the world renowned Global Biodiversity
Institute, a world class institution that provides information and
training in biodiversity, biotechnology and law to developing countries. In his
Sasol SciFest 2002 lecture entitled Biodiversity - a key to economic prosperity
in Africa, Dr Kilama will show how Africa can take part effectively in the
biodiversity-based economy. The economic potential for Africa
is limitless if biodiversity is used properly and it represents a foundation for
a potentially vibrant economic development.
The Albany Museum Makana Biodiversity Centre (MBC) in Grahamstown, was
established in November 2001 in order to create a greater awareness of the role
of the Albany Museum in research, teaching, conservation, consultancy and
management of Africa's biodiversity. Biodiversity research activities and
collections in the MBC cover areas as small as Makana, to southern Africa and in
some cases the entire African continent. Researchers at the MBC have already
provided biodiversity information for the WWF-SA contribution to the summit in
Johannesburg. The MBC will presents three workshops at Sasol SciFest 2002 as
part of their outreach programme.
 Albany Museum scientist, Dr Jim Cambray, has studied the life history of the
Eastern Cape Rocky, a fish which occurs in only a few rivers in the Eastern Cape
and nowhere else in the world. A WWF-SA supported project is trying to save the
endangered Eastern Cape Rocky from extinction. In the
workshop entitled The Eastern Cape Rocky and the Fish-to-Win Quiz, pupils will
learn fascinating facts about the Eastern Cape Rocky and stand a chance to win
Eastern Cape Rocky posters and a booklet. The best teams will also receive an
invitation to the Fish-to-Win final, where they can win one of the rare Eastern
Cape Rocky T-Shirts.
 Evidence of life from the past is gathered from the many and varied fossils
that have been preserved in our sedimentary rock record. In Wonderful Life!
Evidence from our fossil record, Dr Billy De Klerk will illustrate the ways in
which diverse life-forms are preserved and how they are best removed and
prepared for detailed study.
Dr Ferdy de Moor and Helen James will present a new workshop on beetles which
will include answering some interesting questions as well as providing facts
about flight and dispersal, camouflage and mimicry, coloration, pigmentation,
iridescence and light emission.
The knowledge and resources in Africa create the opportunity for the
continent to become an important player in the world economy. The potential will
only be realized once African leaders and the African people manage and utilise
the abundant biodiveristy of the continent for economic gains.
For more information please contact Anja Fourie on (046) 603-1106 or email
scimedia@foundation.org.za. Or contact Eve Cambray at (046) 603-1106 or
email eve.cambray@foundation.org.za.
Alternatively visit our web site at http://www.scifest.org.za.
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