2018 Copperflora Regional Workshop

Following the opening ceremony lead by TFM Environmental Manager Brian Ford, their Excellencies, the Ministers of Environment of Lualaba and Haut-Katanga, followed by his Excellency the Consul of Zambia and his Excellency the Governor of the province of Lualaba, the professors of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech (ULiège) introduced the challenges concerning the unique Copper Flora vegetation for both science and societal purposes. Sylvain Boisson, project engineer of the program, provided an overview of the strategy of conservation at within the concession and identified the primary objectives. Guylain Handjila, responsible for the TFM biodiversity program, then detailed the action structures, particularly the work of Stanko Muzala and Héritier Kabulo, ensuring, respectively, ecosystem reconstruction and nursery maintenance. The afternoon session was opened by the Rector Representative of the UNILU, Lucien Kimuni. Professors Wilfried Masengo and Mylor Ngoy Shutcha then described the benefit of a multidisciplinary project between the university and the various companies, particularly the opportunity for creating new scientific branches linked with the conservation of biodiversity. Sylvain Boisson concluded the presentation session with the valorization of vegetation within the reclamation strategy for polluted soils in the Copper belt. The challenges for studying biodiversity within the Copper belt was supported by professor Françoise Ilunga from the Université Nouveaux Horizons (Lubumbashi), who is starting a project focused on edible mushrooms. The first day of the workshop concluded with a short debate and discussion moderated by professor Grégory Mahy. The group discussed the benefit of regional awareness to conserve plant biodiversity within the Copper belt. Those in attendance appreciated this focus which is consistent with provincial objectives. The second day focused on a field visit within the TFM concession, presenting a sample of actions taken by the company towards the Copper Flora Conservation Program. A reconstructed ecosystem was visited, followed by the laboratory of biodiversity and the nursery in the Environmental Department of TFM. The closing ceremony of the workshop was made by Brian Ford and the provincial authorities who reaffirmed this positive initiative.