Increased foreign trade and tourism are boosting economies and improving people’s lives worldwide. But, it’s not all good news. As more people and goods move from country to country, more invasive weeds are being transferred as well. These are really hitting poor producers in developing regions like Africa hard, as the new weeds are spreading fast and competing aggressively for precious resources.

Parthenium hysterophorus

This CABI-managed five-year project is working at all levels in Zambia, Uganda, Ethiopia and Ghana to find the best ways to stop new invasives crossing their borders and to manage and control those that are already there. One of the major aims of the project is to protect and conserve native biodiversity, as local plants and animals are hard hit by aggressively competitive alien species. In this respect, the project is helping to implement the aims of the Convention on Biological Diversity – which is also funded by GEF.

The activities planned to help tackle the problem of invasive plants range from boosting awareness of invasive species among the general public (through radio and new school curricula, for example) to opening the eyes of policy makers to the economic losses and long-term problems that invasive plants are causing.

Work is well underway, despite the fact that the project proper hasn’t been running for that long. Pilot sites have already been set up to test management options, and ecosystem management plans and schedules have been agreed. Training courses to build in-country expertise have also already begun, and these are being backed up with the provision of key scientific equipment needed for quarantine efforts.

Waterhyacinth flower

Over the next few years, we’re going to see a rush of activities aimed at combating the eight major invasive species being tackled: water hyacinth, paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera), parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus), citronella (Cymbopogon nardus), mesquite (Prosopis juliflora), Mimosa pigra, Lantana camara, and Senna spectabilis.

For more information please contact Florence Chege at f.w.chege@cgiar.org

KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE

Technical information