CEDARE, in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), organized a regional workshop on the institutionalization, sustainable operation, and practical use of Environmental Information Systems and National Networks in Nairobi, Kenya, on 21–23 October 2026, bringing together representatives from Benin, Botswana, and South Sudan. The workshop is part of the “Improved Environmental Information Management in South Sudan, Botswana and Benin” project, which CEDARE implements in collaboration with UNEP.
This project builds on and consolidates a series of projects through which CEDARE, as a UNEP collaborating centre, provided technical support to South Sudan and Botswana in developing Environmental Information Systems and strengthening national capacities for environmental data management and exchange.
Through technical presentations, country experience-sharing and practical exercises, participants explored institutional mandates, governance and coordination, environmental indicators, data-sharing protocols, and the use of environmental information for reporting, planning and decision-making.
Country teams mapped institutional responsibilities, reviewed data-exchange arrangements, and examined scenarios involving conflicting figures, data gaps and publication approvals. Sustainability assessments addressed national ownership, staffing, technical support and operating resources.
A key outcome was developing country-specific action plans, enabling participants to return home with practical steps tailored to their national needs and priorities. These plans will guide efforts to operationalize and strengthen Environmental Information Systems and national data-sharing mechanisms, with defined responsibilities and timelines for follow-up.
The workshop strengthened opportunities for peer learning and South–South cooperation under the GEF Cross-Cutting Capacity Development project. CEDARE thanks UNEP and the participating delegations for their collaboration and commitment to sustaining these achievements beyond project completion.
