21.06.2024
On the sidelines of the 20th Meeting of the Parties for the Congo Basin (RPD20) held in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Richard Eba, a researcher from Cameroon, was proclaimed "Scientific Forester of the Year 2024" by his colleagues at the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).
As he prepares to retire, Richard was surprised to receive this accolade.
Hervé Martial Maidou, Executive Secretary of the Commission des Forêts d'Afrique Centrale (Comifac), who has known Richard for nearly three decades, said: "He has been a source of inspiration and motivation for both his family and his department".
Richard EBA'A ATY said he was pleased to see that ministers from countries in the sub-region and elsewhere had made use of the data he had produced, and pointed out that the basin's forestry capital is useful to the whole world as well as to the African continent. While forests stabilise the climate, it is we in poor countries who suffer from climate change. It's not just a good thing we're doing for the international community, but also a good thing we're doing for ourselves by conserving the forests".
The ATIBT welcomes this recognition and wishes Mr Eba a happy retirement.
