TANZANIA PROPITIOUS ON COP15,BIODIVERSITY PROTECTION IS PERTINENT

 

📌JASMINE SHAMWEPU

THE world has been embarked on risk assessment and risk management of biodiversity, reviewing the information on synthetic biology, living modified organisms, and recommending how best each country would implement the International Initiative for the conservation and sustainable use of soil biodiversity.

This article highlights the efforts undertaken by Tanzania before the next international conference (15th Conference of Parties -COP15) scheduled to take place this year in China.

A national meeting to review the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) was held on March 2022 with the intention to come up with recommendations as an advance step from various concerted efforts including the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Synthetic Biology (AHEG) and adopting decisions to consider the issue of Synthetic Biology.

According to one of the active and key partner in biodiversity, WWF Tanzania, on that meeting held in Morogoro aimed at sharing views, experience, and the situation in Tanzania which will be presented in the COP15.

Environment Officer from WWF Tanzania Dr.Severin Kalonga enlightened that among other things, COP14 agreed that regular horizon scanning, monitoring, and assessing of the most recent technological developments are needed for reviewing new information regarding the potential positive and potential negative impacts of synthetic biology.

“In order to accomplish the criteria, WWF Tanzania has financial and technically supported the government to convene the preliminary meetings of stakeholders with the intention to create awareness and capacity building on how the convention on biological diversity works,” He noted.

COP 14 decided to extend AHTEG on synthetic biology with renewed membership as well as the open-ended online forum on synthetic biology to support the deliberations of the AHTEG taking into account the work on risk assessment under the Cartagena Protocol.

According to decisions reached, the AHTEG was requested to provide advice on the relationship between synthetic biology and the criteria for identifying new emerging issues and addressing various aspects of technological developments in synthetic biology.

Furthermore, it was requested to recommend options for carrying out the regular horizon scanning, monitoring, and assessing of technological developments.

According to science experts, synthetic biology is a field of science that involves redesigning organisms for useful purposes by engineering them to have new abilities, the convention on biological diversity (CBD) is a technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms or derives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for a specific use

Tanzania is among other countries requested to provide its recommendations and position on synthetic biology, living modified organisms, biodiversity and agriculture as well as invasive alien species.

According to the Cartegena Protocol on biodiversity, the decision was reached to establish a process for the identification and prioritization of specific issues regarding risk assessment of living modified organism (LMOs) for considerations by the meeting of the Parties with a view to develop other guidance on risk management and other specific issues identified.

The process for risk assessment and risk management of living modified organisms comprises commissioning of studies to inform the application of the decision to two issues – living modified organisms containing engineered gene drives and living modified fish, the collection and synthesis of relevant information provided by parties, other governments, indigenous peoples and local communities and relevant organizations.

Another process out of others includes a moderated decision through an online forum on risk assessment and risk management as well as a meeting of an ad hoc technical expert group established with the aim of making recommendations on the need for guidance to be developed on risk management of LMOs containing engineered gene drives and living modified fish and on any adjustments needed.

According to Faraja Ngerengeza, Assistant Director of the Division of Environment (Vice President’s Office) the most considered two issues of concern were the living modified organisms that have the potential to cause adverse effects on biodiversity, human health, and the value of biological diversity to indigenous peoples and local communities.

Furthermore, it may be introduced into the environment either deliberately or accidentally and have the potential to disseminate across national borders and are ready or likely to be commercialized or in use somewhere in the world.

Ngerengeza asked stakeholders to share views on how best Tanzania can protect biodiversity and ensure the implementation of the global biodiversity framework for sustainable conservation.

The action for the framework 2021-2030 targets reducing threats to biodiversity, meeting people’s needs through sustainable use and benefit-sharing as well as enabling conditions and implementation support mechanisms including tools and solutions for implementation and mainstreaming

Faraja Ngerengeza.

On his side, the Director of SUHODE Foundation based in the Morogoro region, Frank Luvanda hinted that there is a need for recommendations that guide the risk assessment on living modified organisms containing engineered gene drives that should be developed noting that all criteria have to be fulfilled.

His view on Genetic Modified Fish (GM Fish) concurs with already mixed views from other experts on the issue insisting that there is a clear need and rationale for guidance on risk assessment and management to be developed.

The other view from another expert was that existing risk assessment documents can address this need and therefore the development of guidance on risk assessment of living modified fish should not be prioritized at the moment.

Thomas Chali, Senior Environment Officer in the Vice President’s Office (Environment Division) recommended that the development of guidance on risk assessment of living modified fish was not a priority, given that approvals are for confined use and there are no indications that commercial fish species are being developed for environmental release to date.

Mr Chali urged that technological advancement is needed for review and has adverse effects on environmental management thus, genetically modified fish should wait until all countries are ready to adopt with strengthened and controlled system.

Other areas to be addressed technically include biodiversity and agriculture by reviewing the full report of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on the state of knowledge on soil biodiversity covering current status, challenges, and potentialities

 Thomas Chali.