SciDev.Net

CABS was founded in 1998 and is a part of the US non-governmental organisation Conservation International. It brings together leading experts in science and technology, and conducts research that supports the mission of its parent organisation, namely to identify and respond to elements that threaten the earth's biological diversity. CABS recently launched its Tropical Ecology, Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) initiative, which aims to monitor long-term trends in biodiversity through a growing network of tropical field stations.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research is an association of public and private members supporting a system of 16 Future Harvest centres that work in more than 100 countries to mobilise cutting-edge science to reduce hunger and poverty, improve human nutrition and health, and protect the environment. As well as taking a keen interest in agricultural biotechnology, much of CGIAR's research has direct relevance to biodiversity. CGIAR also coordinates a global network of genebanks that aims to keep the bulk of the world's plant genetic resources in the public domain.

Diversitas is an international network of the world’s leading biodiversity scientists. It has headquarters in Paris and is sponsored by five partner organisations including UNESCO and the International Council for Science. The Diversitas website is an accessible source of information on the major natural science questions that researchers are seeking to answer, which include: predicting changes to biodiversity; assessing the impacts of these changes; and developing sharper research tools. A quarterly newsletter provides a good overview of progress on the main scientific themes in global biodiversity conservation, as well as updates from its member scientists.

The Gobabeb Training and Research Centre aims to understand the relationship between the ecology of arid environments and human activities. Its areas of focus include developing appropriate technologies that can help improve quality of life, such as fog-collection and alternative energy sources. The centre is attached to the Southern Africa Development Community, the intergovernmental organisation representing countries in southern Africa. It is also associated with the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia.

The Millennium Ecosystems Assessement is an international science-based initiative to document the state of the world’s ecosystems and how they are affected by human activities. The Assessment’s reports are due to be published over two years beginning in September 2003. Main donors include the World Bank, the Global Environment Facility, the UN Foundation, the Packard Foundation and the UN Environment Programme.