Forty-five national and international researchers have been meeting since Monday in the municipality of Buco-Zau, Cabinda Province, to exchange experiences on biodiversity management and preservation in the Congo Basin.
These are specialists and academics from Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, and France, who are participating in the International Scientific Conference on the Congo Basin Forests, organized by the 11 de Novembro University, based in the city of Cabinda.
The event, supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, addresses topics including forest crimes and value chains, climate change, deforestation, and the illegal exploitation of minerals.
At the opening of the event, the Secretary of State for Science and Innovation, Alice Almeida, said the conference is an opportunity to strengthen scientific and institutional cooperation among the Congo Basin countries.
The official called for active participation in the debates, encouraging the sharing of ideas and constructive opinions to promote increasingly rational use of forest and animal resources across the Congo Basin.
The French ambassador to Angola, Sophie Aubert, highlighted the importance of the conference in improving communication and the exchange of experiences among the basin countries.
Meanwhile, the Vice-Governor of Cabinda for Political and Social Affairs, Miguel de Oliveira, called for combined efforts to conserve and protect biodiversity in this region shared by several countries on the African continent.
The Congo Basin includes Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Rwanda.
Source: Angop
