{"id":20159,"date":"2024-11-08T15:05:46","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T15:05:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/?p=20159"},"modified":"2024-11-11T19:31:19","modified_gmt":"2024-11-11T19:31:19","slug":"cop16-dispatch-week-2-students-reflections-on-cop16-and-biodiversity-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/2024\/11\/08\/cop16-dispatch-week-2-students-reflections-on-cop16-and-biodiversity-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"COP16 Dispatch: Week 2 Students\u2019 Reflections on COP16 and Biodiversity Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Zohra Zahir, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Regina, Canada<\/em><\/p>\n

I had the incredible opportunity to moderate the panel \u201cBiodiversity Beyond the Classroom: Students\u2019 Perspectives from COP16\u201d<\/strong> at the Academic and Research Hub at COP16 in Colombia, where I joined fellow students Dr. Alice Morrell from the University of Oxford, David Baldwin from Florida Atlantic University, and Claire Bandet from the University of Pennsylvania, to discuss our experiences, reflections, and challenges encountered at the conference.<\/p>\n

As emerging scientists, our goal was to unpack how policymakers talk about science, especially in the context of biodiversity\u2014the main focus of COP16. One major insight we all shared was the need for policymakers to draw more from academic research. \u201cPolicymakers need to tap into academia more<\/em>,\u201d Alice observed. \u201cOur voice needs to be part of the conversation<\/em>.\u201d This shared sentiment brought up a critical question: How can we make the research produced in academia not only accessible but also actionable? The effect of \u201cthe evidence-based policy claiming to be written at COP16 needs to be more intimate with the research produced by academics and scientists,\u201d David answered.<\/p>\n

Poster for COP16 panel \"Biodiversity Beyond the Classroom: Students Perspectives\" with four student panelists from various universities, October 28, 2024, in Cali, Colombia.

Poster from the discussion panel at COP16 in Cali, Colombia, held on October 28th, 2024.<\/p><\/div>\n

Claire added an important perspective, recounting a conversation with a policymaker who urged scientists to \u201ccome down from their ivory towers<\/em>.\u201d She noted, \u201cIf we don\u2019t make science communication better, we\u2019re not reaching the people who need to hear it the most.<\/em>\u201d Her comment struck a chord; if we want our science to truly drive change, it needs to be communicated in ways that resonate beyond academia.<\/p>\n

David took it further, emphasizing self-advocacy: \u201cWe need to be our own biggest advocates. If we don\u2019t push for our work to be included, science risks staying on the sidelines<\/em>.\u201d The transition from classroom learning to the international COP16 stage was eye-opening for each of us. We shared stories of countless emails, networking efforts, and perseverance that helped us get here.<\/p>\n

Stepping out of the structured academic environment showed us how science can translate to real-world applications in global biodiversity policy. One audience member, Ana Valeria from Ecological Society of America, asked a question that gave us all pause: \u201cWhat do you think is the role of students at COP16?<\/em>\u201d We all agreed that there\u2019s a need for a much stronger student presence. When Aminata Sidibe from Global Youth Biodiversity Network asked us how youth can become more engaged, we all acknowledged that young scientists are important voices in these conversations, but more work is needed to amplify our perspectives and integrate student-led research into these spaces. David added that hearing so many people say they are counting on \u201cthe next generation\u201d reignited his passion for scientific research.<\/p>\n

The panel concluded with an open reflection on what\u2019s next. When asked by Carlos Alberto Silva from the Organization for Tropical Studies, another audience member, I shared my plans to speak at my university about my experience at COP16 and Canada\u2019s role in biodiversity policy. I also plan to emphasize the importance of integrating Indigenous and local community perspectives, whose voices are essential in conservation efforts.<\/p>\n

Claire looks forward to sharing her experiences with her students to show them the global impact their studies can have. David and Alice plan to reconnect with the people they networked with at COP16, building on the relationships they established at the conference. \u201cWe\u2019re bringing back a global network we didn\u2019t have before,\u201d David said, adding that this experience has expanded his perspective on science as a collaborative, international effort. Reflecting on COP16, we were all moved by the diversity of people and perspectives\u2014languages, countries, and voices united for the cause of biodiversity. As Alice put it, \u201cIt was amazing to see so many people here for the same cause<\/em>.\u201d For us, this wasn\u2019t just a conference; it was an invitation to turn our studies into action, to make the case for the critical role of science in policy, and to advocate for a stronger presence of young scientists on the global stage.<\/p>\n

\"COP16

Panel discussion at COP16 in Cali, Colombia, on October 28, 2024. From left to right: Claire Bandet, David Baldwin, Alice Morrell, and Zohra Zahir. Photo credit: Ana Valeria Medina.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Disclaimer:<\/strong> Opinions are solely those of the guest contributor and not an official ESA policy or position.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ph.D. candidate Zohra Zahir reflects on moderating the panel \u201cBiodiversity Beyond the Classroom: Students\u2019 Perspectives from COP16\u201d in Colombia. Joined by fellow emerging scientists, she shares insights on bridging the gap between academia and policy, advocating for student voices, and making science accessible and actionable to influence global biodiversity policy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":19890,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1926,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cop16","category-ecology-in-policy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20159"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20214,"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20159\/revisions\/20214"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esa.org\/esablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}