The aim of EAC Vision 2050 is to achieve effective natural resource and environment management and conservation with enhanced value addition. The vision identifies judicious use of the natural resources and emphasizes value addition to enhance forward and backward linkages to generate employment and trade within the region, and to expand the export market. The 6th EAC Development Strategy 2022/23 – 2027/28 further acknowledges that natural resources are impacted by climate change and natural disaster risks that require research interventions for better management. The climatic changes and increasing depletion of fossil fuel sources require a shift in economies to be based largely on renewable resources. Transition to a sustainable bio-based economy is, therefore, imperative in securing sustained regional economic prosperity. Cutting-edge biological and technological knowledge and approaches for intensive and sustainable production, provision and processing of biomass will help to bring about this change in the industrial resource base and contribute to reduced burden on the environment and contribute to conservation of the finite resources. Bioeconomy offers an opportunity to reconcile economic growth with environmentally responsible investments and actions. To ensure judicious utilization of natural resources in the face of climate change, research interventions in this thematic area will focus on conservation and management of trans-boundary ecosystems; wildlife management; biodiversity conservation initiatives; water governance and management; pollution management; judicious exploitation of forestry and mineral resources; and efficient bioeconomy to track the region on the path to sustainable socio-economic prosperity and global competitiveness.
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