Dr Sebataolo (Seb) Rahlao, an alumnus of the Centre for Invasion Biology (C·I·B), has been elected to the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel (MEP) of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). His appointment was announced during the twelfth session of the IPBES Plenary held in Manchester, United Kingdom, last month. Dr Rahlao will serve on the panel until 2029.
The IPBES Multidisciplinary Expert Panel plays a central role in guiding the organisation’s scientific work. Its mandate is to provide scientific and technical advice to the IPBES Plenary, assisting with scientific and technical communication, overseeing the peer-review process to ensure high-quality assessments, and engaging with the global scientific community and other knowledge holders to support IPBES’ work.
Dr Rahlao serves currently as Executive Manager of the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI), a research division of the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR). Here Dr Rahlao leads a team of scientists conducting research on coastal zones, coral reefs, fisheries, estuaries, and marine protected areas (MPAs), with a focus on the KwaZulu-Natal coast, the Western Indian Ocean, and global marine systems.
Dr Rahlao is also a Research Associate at the Centre for Invasion Biology at Stellenbosch University, where he completed his PhD in 2009.
Over the course of his career, Dr Rahlao has built an extensive track record in biodiversity research leadership, working across terrestrial and marine systems and strengthening the science-policy interface.
He also has extensive international experience within IPBES. He briefly served as a Lead Author of the ongoing Second Global Assessment, previously contributed as a Lead Author of the Africa Regional Assessment, and was a Coordinating Lead Author of the Invasive Alien Species Assessment.
Beyond biodiversity assessments, Dr Rahlao has contributed to global climate diplomacy, providing support to South Africa’s climate change negotiators during three United Nations climate conferences: COP16 in Cancún, COP17 in Durban, and COP18 in Doha.
Congratulations, Dr Rahlao!
For more information about the IPBES Multidisciplinary Expert Panel: https://www.ipbes.net/multidisciplinary-expert-panel
