Concern for biodiversity achieved an important milestone with the signing of the Convention of Biological Diversity at the Rio Summit in 1992. This concern is not unjustified because the rapid pace of development, especially in tropical countries, has come about mainly through unsustainable exploitation of biological resources. At IBEC we addressed this concern by focusing our research activities on ecosystem and species that are at risk and on the underlying taxonomic and ecological principles that can contribute to their conservation and management.

Under the general theme of environmental conservation, IBEC embarks on researches that are directly linked to environmental rehabilitation, management and assessment. The major environmental component that is seriously under constant threat is the hydrosphere. Surface and ground waters are being severely polluted by sewage and industrial effluents, wetlands being drained and converted to other land uses, and water catchment areas being disturbed causing water shortages and flash floods are some examples of the threats that water resources in the country are facing.