71st International Short Course on Ecosystem Management – Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Services (SC71)

(30 August 2017 - 26 September 2017 )
Represented countries of origin in the course:

Azerbaijan	Bhutan	Bolivia	Brazil (x2)	Cambodia	China
Costa Rica	Colombia	Ethiopia	Ghana	Guatemala	Indonesia
Madagascar	Myanmar	Nepal	Peru (x2)	Philippines	Rwanda
		Thailand	Ukraine

Mr Abera Tilahun Abdi

Country of origin: Ethiopia
Workfield: Fed./nat. administration
Position while attending the course: Lecturer at Hawassa University - Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources Shashemene
Academic background: M.Sc. Dryland Forestry
Responsibilities: 
► Teaching
► Scientific research
► Community services

Mr Bipeen Acharya

Country of origin: Nepal
Workfield: Federal Government
Position while attending the course: Under Secretary, Government of Nepal
Academic background: M.Sc. in Environmental Science
Responsibilities: 
► Planning and Budget Coordination section of the Ministry of Population and Environment;
► Preparing long term and short term annual budgets;
► Implementing the policies and programmes prepared by the Government
of Nepal.

Profile:

Biodiversity and ecosystem services are the important basis for enhancing food security, improving local livelihoods and maintaining socio-ecological resilience. The Ministry of Environment and Population has envisioned eco-friendly national economic development to conserve the forests’ integrity and ecological services.
Working as an under-secretary for this organization, Bipeen Acharya is actively involved in providing the inputs for the formulation of conservation-friendly policies and laws. He also works for effective implementation of these policies as long term and short term annual budgets and programs in the field level. Bipeen is equally responsible for implementing the Low Carbon Development Strategy to mainstream biodiversity conservation in development planning and implementation.
However, he felt that little knowledge about the range of different natural and social sciences methodologies has always hindered his capacity for the effective evaluation of ecosystem services and biodiversity. His expectations from the UNEP/UNESCO/BMUB course were to share and exchange experience and knowledge with the participants from wide range of disciplines and professional backgrounds to develop his analytical skills and understanding of the multi-faceted aspects of ecosystem assessment and biodiversity conservation. With the course Bipeen found a perfect platform for this.

Ms Amira Elvia Apaza Quevedo

Country of origin: Bolivia
Workfield: Regional
Position while attending the course: International Consultant - Senior Biologist at UNDP project
Academic background: Ph.D. Functional Diversity, Population Genetics and Land-use Change
Responsibilities: 
► Evaluating impacts of environmental liabilities from the mining and oil sector on biodiversity and ecosystems in protected areas.

Mr Marshall Banamwana

Country of origin: Rwanda
Workfield: Fed./nat. administration
Position while attending the course: Environmental Protection Specialist at Ministry of Natural Resources (MINIRENA) Kigali
Academic background: M.Sc. Biodiversity Conservation
Responsibilities: 
► Coordinating and facilitating the review and updating environment policies and legislations;
► Providing technical advice on matter related to the proper management of environment;
► Ensuring coordination and follow up of strategic actions and initiatives related to sustainable environmental management.

Profile:

Marshall Banamwana is working as Environmental Protection Specialist at the Ministry of Natural Resources. A part working at the Ministry, he is also part time lecturer at the Kitabi College of Conservation and Environment Management (KCCEM). The (KCCEM) is a regional training College, operating under Rwanda Development Board (RDB). The college was established in 2006 with a mandate to build capacity in conservation, tourism and environmental management in Rwanda and the wider Albertine Rift Region. Marshall mainly teaches courses related to Biodiversity Conservation, wildlife management, parks planning and community conservation.
Furthermore he is a technical advisor to various ongoing conservation and environment management projects in his country and has represented Rwanda to various International fora and platforms including the UNFCCC COP22 in Marrakech in 2016 and 16^th Regular Session of the African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) in June 2017.

Mr Gabriel Carvalho de Avila

Country of origin: Brazil
Workfield: Protected Areas Management
Position while attending the course: Sectorial Coordinator of Protected Areas at Intistuto Estadual de Florestas - Unidade Regional Alto Jequitinhonham Minas Gerais
Academic background: M.Sc. in Geography
Responsibilities: 
►Coordinating nine protected areas since 2010;
►Providing the protected areas teams with the required inputs to reach a reasonable level of management effectiveness;
►Organising training events.

Profile:

Gabriel Carvalho de Avila is since ten years working as Protected Areas Manager in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. His function is Environmental Specialist on the State Institution of Forests agency which is responsible for the promotion of the environmental policy of the state. Currently he is involved in a project which aims to attain the integrated management of nineteen protected areas, in a region declared as UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, called Serra do Espinhaco, placed in the largest range of mountains of Brazil, on the board between the two Brazilians hotspots Biomes: Atlantic Rain Forest and Brazilian Savanna. His organization has been working with the team of those protected areas in order to get better level of effectiveness of its management as well as the better involvement of the local rural communities. Gabriel's team is carrying on projects to strengthen the protected areas planning process, the sustainable development of use of non-timber products and the evaluation of the benefits and costs generated by the net of protected areas. For Gabriel the UNEP/UNESCO/BMUB course was a great opportunity to learn about his field of work, within a dynamic system of classes, workshops and practical activities. The deep expertise of the professors of Technische Universitat Dresden as well as the possibility of learning with professionals of many countries was his major motivation to apply to the short course of Biodiversity Conservation and Ecosystem Services.

Ms Thayna Jeremias Mello

Country of origin: Brazil
Workfield: Conservation of Biodiversity
Position while attending the course: Research and Monitoring Coordinator at Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park
Academic background: M.Sc. Ecology
Responsibilities: 
► Coordinating research, monitoring and management of Fernando de Noronha National Marine Park and environmental protected areas.

Profile:

Thayna Jeremias Mello works as Research and Monitoring coordinator in Fernando de Noronha Marine National Park, a protected area managed by ICMBio, agency linked to the Brazilian Environmental Ministry. She is responsible for applying scientific knowledge to inform decision makers and to identify knowledge gaps to be tackled, establish a priority list of necessary research, and manages the scientific knowledge database. Thayna analyzes and prepares technical reports on potentially impacting projects, conducts analysis of environmental impacts and proposes mitigation measures. She coordinates monitoring plans of fisheries, coral reefs, marine birds and water quality, translating the monitoring data into management tools and regulations. She is also responsible for the elaboration and execution of the Invasive Species Management Program, the Degraded Areas Restoration Plan and for the implementation and monitoring of the local actions of the National Action Plans for Threatened Species.
The -UNEP/UNESCO/BMUB course programme was a great way for her to develop her skills both in science and decision making and to learn useful management tools, which will be readily applied in her work. Besides that, exchanging experiences with people from all over the world and learning about how ecosystem and protected areas management are done in other countries is an invaluable opportunity.

Ms Carolyn Esmenda

Country of origin: Philippines
Workfield: Resource Management
Position while attending the course: Ecosystem Management Specialist, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
Academic background: M.A. Environmental Management
Responsibilities: 
► Providing technical assistance for the management of the two national parks within the administrative jurisdiction of CENRO-Taytay, the El Nido-Taytay managed resource protected area and Malampay sound protected landscape and seascape;
► Conducting various biodiversity conservation activities.

Profile:

Carolyn Esmenda is currently working as Protected Area Superintendent of Malampaya Sound Protected Landscape and Seascape (MSPLS) located in Taytay, Palawan, Philippines - one of the protected areas under the jurisdiction of Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) – Taytay, Palawan. A significant part of her job involves the management of the natural resources within the 200,115 hectare-protected area, the largest protected area in the province, as well as working with the people living inside the park. As part of the management of the park, her organization applies biodiversity monitoring and facilitates the implementation of various programs and projects of the Department for the protected area. The most challenging part of her job is working/engaging the communities within the park in the protection and conservation of the fragile ecosystems. The organization also coordinates with partner agencies and organizations as well as the provincial, regional and national offices for the implementation of various activities related to park management. In her previous assignment, Carolyn extended technical assistance to the protected areas for various resource management and biodiversity conservation endeavors.
Carolyn finds the UNEP/UNESCO/BMUB course a good platform in enhancing her knowledge and skills in resource management particularly capitalizing on ecosystem services.

Ms Arie Fahmiyati

Country of origin: Indonesia
Workfield: Ministry of Environment and Forestry
Position while attending the course: Analyst of Water Ecosystem Services in Conservation Forest at Ministry of Environment and Forestry Directorate of Ecosystem Services in Conservation Area, Bogor
Academic background: M.Sc. in Environmental Sciences
Responsibilities: 
► Assessing proposals from private sector to use water resources for commercial purposes;
► Monitoring and evaluating the implementation of water use;
► Composing draft of regulation related with water resources in conservation forest.

Ms Andrea González Quirós

Country of origin: Costa Rica
Workfield: Environmental management, environmental consultant for institutional environmental management system
Position while attending the course: Environmental Management Officer at Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz (CNFL)
Academic background: M.Sc. in Environmental Management and Ecotourism
Responsibilities: 
► Monitoring biological indicators to trigger new strategies for environmental
protection, in the search for alternatives for the reduction of environmental
impacts related to the activities of the organization and in the continuous
improvement of a more respectful administration with the environment.

Profile:

Andrea González Quirós is working on a Conservation Ecosystem Programme as an area of ​​environmental management and natural resources in Electric Company, in Central America, Costa Rica. She is involved in the co-planification and implementation of activities on wildlife, specially, monitoring aquatic and terrestrial fauna (fishes, microinvertebrates, birds, mammals, etc). Andrea also works on issues related to identify the environmental aspects and impacts of the different areas of this public institution to  support the environmental management system according to the environmental standards INTE ISO 14001:2015, as well as to generate actions of improvement to prevent the affection on wildlife.
In this context, the Fellowship Programme has been a good opportunity for her, because it enables her to think in other ways to improve and take advantages of all the knowledge given to the biodiversity conservation expanding with ecosystem services. Andrea is an environmental educator so she was postulated and has been awarded a fellowship by the Ministry of Environment of Chile “in Enviromental Education as a space to development”.

Ms Channimol Ky

Country of origin: Cambodia
Workfield: Ministry of Environment
Position while attending the course: Officer of General Directorate  of Administration for Nature Conservation and Protection
Academic background: B.A. in Environmental Science
Responsibilities: 
► Research tasks and writing diary report about illegal logging, wildlife hunting in protected areas;
► Working with administrative department to organize workshops and training related to natural resources conservation and protection.

Profile:

Channimol Ky is an officer of ministry of Environment who works under the General Department of Administration for Nature Conservation and Protection. She is working in the second sub-department which covers 12 protected areas in Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri, Stung Treng and Kratie Provinces. Channimol is responsible for collecting illegal logging and wildlife hunting data and for the data collection on wildlife and socio-economic status in all protected areas. Moreover, she is an organizer for local and national workshops and training about law enforcement and capacity building for rangers. Furthermore she participates in National Forest Inventory in REDD context.  Recently, together with her colleagues she also participated in the CAMPAS project which aims to strengthen national biodiversity and forest carbon stock conservation though landscape-based collaboration management of Cambodia's Protected Area System as demonstrated in the Eastern Plains Landscape.
In her present position as an officer of ministry of Environment, Channimol will try her best to increase and promote stakeholders’ awareness and knowledge on the Convention and their working programs and plans by integration of biodiversity conservation in national, ministerial, and local plans. Her long term goal is to use her experiences to empower communites in protected areas to create an ecotourism based on natural resources in their area in order to create other sources of income for them and conserves natural resources in those protected areas.

Ms Silvia Anaite Lopez Alquijay

Country of origin: Guatemala
Workfield: Fed./nat. administration
Position while attending the course: Head of Department at Instituto Nacional de Bosques (National Forest Institute) Guatemala City
Academic background: B.Sc. in Biology
Responsibilities: 
►Elaborating institutional documents for the management, conservation and restoration of strategic forest ecosystems and protected areas under the administration of the Institution.

Mr Aye Chan Maung

Country of origin: Myanmar
Workfield: Fed./nat. administration
Position while attending the course: Range Officer at Forest Research Institute
Yezin, Nay Pyi Taw
Academic background: B.Sc. Environmental Studies - Community Development
Responsibilities: 
► Supporting the director of the Forest Research Institute under his direct supervision;
► Involved in the process of developing a national REDD+ strategy for Myanmar;
► Participating in research activities.

Mr Tatenda Mutasa

Country of origin: Zimbabwe
Workfield: Climate Change and Environmental Protection
Position while attending the course: Climate Change Scientist at Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate Harare
Academic background: M.Sc. in Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sustainability
Responsibilities: 
► Implementing climate change adaptation and mitigation projects;
► Climate change education, training and awareness;
► Climate Change research;
► Climate change policy formulation and development of climate response strategies.

Profile:

Tatenda Mutasa works for the Government of Zimbabwe in the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate as a Climate Change Scientist. His duties include implementation of climate change adaptation and mitigation programmes; climate change and environmental policy and action plans formulation and implementation; and climate change research, education and public awareness, among others.  Tatenda has also been working as a Researcher with research focus on climate change, environmental management and livelihoods enhancement. Tatenda applied for the UNEP/UNESCO/BMUB course to enhance his prowess in biodiversity and ecosystem management for the benefit of his country. Specifically his intentions were to share best practices with colleagues from other countries, to be aware of threats and challenges associated with ecosystems in a changing climate and to come up with ways to manage them. He also aimed to learn about international policies and conventions on ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation, gather knowledge to inform policy and legislation in Zimbabwe and identify potential research areas for his own career development.

Mr Nitas Nunsong

Country of origin: Thailand
Workfield: Forestry
Position while attending the course: Forestry Technical Officer at Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Bangkok
Academic background: M.Sc. in Parks and Recreation
Responsibilities: 
► Research in the field of ecology, environmental science, forest conservation, biodiversity, land use planning, and community conservation;
►Education and sharing knowledge on forestry, natural resource conservation and management to rural communities.

Profile:

Nitas Nunsong is working as a Forestry Technical Officer, Professional Level in Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) in Bangkok, Thailand. He is involved in research in the field of ecology, biodiversity, forest conservation and land use planning. Nitas is interested in methodologies from the natural and social sciences methodologies of assessing and valuing ecosystem services in different societal contexts and convey basics of biodiversity and ecosystem governance. This knowledge could be applied in his research and projects to encourage communities to realize the forest ecosystem, functions and services, and the impacts of deforestation. Furthermore it could support the development of forest conservation and integrated watershed management in Thailand.

Ms Eunice Okyere-Agyapong

Country of origin: Ghana
Workfield: Fed./nat. administration
Position while attending the course: Station Manager / Senior Technologist at Forestry Research Institute of Ghana Kumasi
Academic background: B.Sc. in Natural Resources Management
Responsibilities: 
► Implementing planned activities following management plans of the scientists concerned;
► Ensuring proper maintenance of research plots, data collection and protection of station against potential encroachment.

Profile:

Currently, Eunice Okyere-Agyapong serves as the team leader for one of the seven strategic research out-stations for CSIR-FORIG. She is implementing biodiversity research activities per management plans of scientists. Data collection and maintenance of research plots are part of her tasks. Eunice manages the station’s human and material resources, plus other physical facilities. For instance, she develops strategies to protect the demarcated land against encroachment.  Her employer, CSIR-FORIG, undertakes demand driven research, builds capacity and promotes the application of technologies for sustainable management of forest resources for the benefit of society (www.csir-forig.org.gh).
Eunice applied to the UNEP/UNESCO/BMUB course because she wanted to acquire new knowledge to improve her performance at work. Now she is well informed about biodiversity concepts and ecosystem functioning and services, its governance, threats, evaluation, monitoring and management. Participation in this course has equipped her with the skill to identify the biodiversity research potential, develop economic instruments for valuation and payment for ecosystem services. Eunice is glad that her expectation have been met. Additionally, the course gave her the opportunity to network, increase her visibility and establish personal connections with other people. Earlier in her career, Eunice raised 100,000 tree seedlings for reforestation projects in degraded Forest Reserve in Ghana. Through teamwork an area of 200ha was planted. The project was funded by Ghana’s Forestry Commission and implemented by CSIR-FORIG.

Ms Peng Huifang

Country of origin: China
Workfield: Federal/National administration
Position while attending the course: Deputy Director at Department of Nature and Ecology Conservation, Ministry of Environment, Beijing
Academic background: M.Sc. in Geopgraphy
Responsibilities: 
► In charge of biodiversity and species resource conservation and management at national level;
► ABS focal point of China, to coordinate and organize the Chinese governmental delegation to participate in the negotiations of the Convention on Biological Diversity and Nagoya Protocol.

Mr Fernando Andres Perez Chanduvi

Country of origin: Peru
Workfield: Fed./nat. NGO
Position while attending the course: Natural Resources and Environmental Management Specialist at Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Lima
Academic background: M.Sc. Ecotourism
Responsibilities: 
► Development of proposals for natural resources management projects;
► Implementation of conservation modalities and environmental
management instruments in districts that host priority sites
for conservation of the biological diversity of Puno, Peru.

Mr Diego Alonso Portugal Del Pino (Guest student)

Country of origin: Peru
Workfield: Regional NGO
Position while attending the course: Co-Founder Ficus Peru Desarrollo Socioambiental Lima 33
Academic background: M.Sc. Sustainable Resource Management
Responsibilities: 
► I am the Co-Founder of Ficus Peru Desarrollo Socioambiental and with
my colleague we have built a team of 6 people and are currently developing
two projects in Lima, Peru, My function also relies in obtaining enough
funding for projects to implement. We have won three grants so far.

Ms Lamina Vatosoa Ratovonasy

Country of origin: Madagascar
Workfield: Environmental and forests management
Position while attending the course: Technical Assistant, General Secretary, Ministry of the Environment, Ecology and Forests
Academic background: M.Sc. in Tropical Ecosystems Management
Responsibilities: 
► Ensure the technical activities at the General Secretary level;
► Sometimes represents the General Secretary of the Ministry at key events or technical meetings.

Profile:

Lamina Vatosoa Ratovonasy is working for the Ministry of Environment, Ecology and Forests in Madagascar since 2009. Currently, she is one of the technical assistants of the Secretary General which is the responsible of all the technical and administrative activities of the whole Ministry. This Ministry is mainly in charge of the management of natural resources including all types of ecosystems and the environment protection.
Lamina was interested in the UNEP/UNESCO/BMUB short course on ecosystem management because of her professional and personal involvement in the management of nature. In her job Lamina is asked to comment documents or assess activities related to biodiversity and ecosystem services. Thus, knowledge and experience through her participation in this course will help her to ensure her responsibilities. The lectures inspired her to focus her future activities on topics like pollination, food trees and land management.
During the last two years, Lamina has been engaged on writing the frameworks for the national diploma and certificate for all technical capacity buildings inside the Ministry. In a few months, she will work on the Desertification Platform within the African Union Semi-Arid Food Grain Research and Development AU SAFGRAD.

Ms Afag Rizayeva

Country of origin: Azerbaijan
Workfield: Regional NGO
Position while attending the course: Senior Specialist at International Dialogue for Environmental Action (IDEA) Public Union Baku
Academic background: M.Sc. Bioecology
Responsibilities: 
► Implementation and managing the projects on Caucasian leopard (Panthera Pardus Ciscaucasica) and European bison (Bison Bonasus) reintroduction to Greater Caucasus mountains,
► Recovery of the sturgeon population in the Caspian Sea.

Ms Sofia Sadogurska

Country of origin: Ukraine
Workfield: Climate Change, Marine Biology
Position while attending the course: Coordinator of Climate Change Project at Center for Environmental Initiatives Ecoaction (NGO Ecodiya)
Academic background: M.Sc. Botany
Responsibilities: 
► Integrating climate change issues into Ukrainian government policies and monitoring the implementation of international conventions on climate change and biodiversity protection;
► Developing strategies and assisting
in controlling projects in the frame of the program “Climate Forum East-II”.

Profile:

Sofia Sadogurska is Coordinator of Climate Change Project at Center for Environmental Initiatives Ecoaction. The Center aims to integrate climate change issues into Ukrainian government policies and monitor the implementation of International Conventions on Climate Change and Biodiversity Protection. It takes active part in international negotiations on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and works with media and the general public. The center also coordinates projects on Adaptation to Climate changes, which also include activities, related to Ecosystem management and Nature Conservation in current climate realities. The last few years Sofia has been conducting research on the biodiversity of the Black Sea marine ecosystems. As specialist working in Marine Biodiversity Conservation and current PhD student of M. G. Kholodny Institute of Botany of the NASU she is working on the inclusion of marine areas in the Emerald Network of Ukraine and took part in public control of its creation.
Considering this, she felt, that she needs to deepen professional skills related to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, ecological restoration, and provision of ecosystem services for human well-being. Sofia is sure, that the CIPSEM course gave her this knowledge.  She is going to use this information to develop modern approaches to biodiversity conservation and ecosystems management in Ukraine as NGO worker and scientist.

Mr Sonam Tashi

Country of origin: Bhutan
Workfield: Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation
Position while attending the course: Forestry Officer in Department of Forests and Park Services, Bhutan.
Academic background: M.Sc. Forestry
Responsibilities: 
► Ensuring compliance with forest policy, forest act, rules and regulations including government directives through circulars, planning and management of forestry services under the agency's jurisdiction.

Profile:

Sonam Tashi feels fortunate being from a country - Bhutan - where conservation is a national priority and vibrant policies are supporting the aspiration. In line with his country’s vision of sustainability and conservation, Sonam contributes within his capacity in managing natural resources and in conservation of biodiversity as Forestry Officer under the Department of Forests and Park Services in Bumthang Forest Division, Bhutan.
In Sonam's view, foresters tend to approach from principles of forestry and much of the entities in the nature are identified differently for easier management. However, treating biodiversity as a complex system which requires an interdisciplinary approach is rudimentary in Bhutan, perhaps all over the globe. There are different stakeholders working for the management of biodiversity which needs to be bridged and moreover an integrated approach which can be provided by understanding the ecosystem and its services. Not only as mere career but Sonam is very interested in learning different aspects of biodiversity as his passion. Thid is also the reason why he applied for the UNEP/UNESCO/BMUB course program to understand more on ecosystem management so that he can gain new prospective, skills and knowledge to provide an integrated approach in his work place. In retrospect, Sonam believes he has indeed broadened his prospective towards biodiversity and ecosystem management from the course.

Ms Vanessa Wätzold Ospina (Guest student)

Country of origin: Colombia
Workfield: Rural and Environmental Expert with emphasis on Social-Ecological systems for developing countries.
Position while attending the course: Social-Environmental Expert
Academic background: M.Sc Tropical Forestry and Management
 

Profile:

Vanessa Wätzold Ospina is an international student in Dresden and attended the UNEP/UNESCO/BMUB course as a guest student. Before her studies she was working as rural and environmental consultant in local and international NGOs such as Tropenbos (TBI) and as research assistant at the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute.  During her life, Vanessa has gained experience in social-ecological research/frameworks and participatory methodologies regarding the use and natural resources management in developing countries, focusing in the design and implementation of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. At present her focal interest and motivation is to link her professional skills with practical activities and methodologies such as rural development practices towards biodiversity conservation, to implement new tools such as environmental incentives, ecosystem services modalities and other important issues for the sustainable development goals. In this context Vanessa consideres the UNEP/UNESCO/BMUB international short course providing her with the best tools and networks to continue her professional and personal growth.
Vanessa's expectations on the course were entirely filled according to her interests and motivations as a future professional woman willing to cross barriers working for the believe that the social and environmental benefits instead to be a trade off, can be complementary and full of successful outcomes. She plans to bring the newly gathered knowledge back with her to Colombia, for the progress of new and future generations, integrating her knowledge towards innovative schemes on forestry and entrepreneurial sustainable activities.