Dr Arne Witt is the Regional (African and Asia) Coordinator for Invasive Species for CABI, based in Nairobi, Kenya. Actively involved in a number of regional UNEP-GEF projects in Africa, the Caribbean and Asia and other IAS projects throughout the developing world, Arne seeks to strengthen the policy/legislation framework with regard to invasive species, to foster regional cooperation regarding their management, to create awareness about the threats they pose, and to build capacity for the implementation of sustainable IAS management and prevention strategies. To do so, Arne draws on his background as a scientist for CSIRO (Australia), the then Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines, and as a former Senior Researcher, and Division Manager of the Weeds Research Division of South Africa’s Plant Protection Research Institute of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC- PPRI). His extensive experience researching the biological control of alien species, particularly plants, began with a BSc obtained from the University of KZN (PMB). His MSc in Entomology (SU) and Conservation Biology (UCT) led to his PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Arne has worked closely with Prof. Brian van Wilgen and C·I·B post-graduate researchers during his C·I·B fellowship, on an extensive East Africa dataset on the sizable costs and detrimental impacts of IAS to local livelihoods and biodiversity. Several papers, a seminar and other possible products are planned. For further reading, please see http://www.cabi.org/ and http://www.unep.org/dgef/
