Luc Janssens de Bisthoven

Passionate about conservation and sustainable development, coordinating the CEBioS programme at Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.

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Function

Leading an enthusiastic team of 8 professionals at RBINS with funding from the Belgian Development Cooperation (DGD) for capacity building in the global South about Biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and management and international governance in the framework of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

Research team: CEBioS (Capacities for Biodiversity and Sustainable Development)
Research theme: Biodiversity in a changing world

Current Project(s)

Coordinating/implementing CEBioS (DGD)
SECORES (thematic joint strategic framework on resilience), former chairman
EVAMAB (BELSPO) now closed, promoter
South Initiative on Lake Tanganyika (Burundi) (VLIR-UOS), now closed, associated promoter
North-South-South on Lake Manyara (Tanzania) (VLIR-UOS), now closed, associated promoter
RUBICOM, South Initiative on Rusizi (Burundi) (VLIR-UOS), associated promoter, on-going
CEBioS is also co-implementing several other projects: C-Urge (https://research.kuleuven.be/portal/en/project/3H220480), Pacal-B (EU, Joint For Water, Louvain Cooperation, now closed)), PACECOR (UNDP-EU-Enabel), COOP4CBD (EU), CANATHIST (BELSPO), ZACORES (restoration of coral reefs, Zanzibar), Afrowetmab (FEDtWIN).

Area of Expertise

Background in aquatic ecotoxicology. Current interest in research/publishing on capacity building, stakeholders perceptions, ecosystem services, resilience of socio-ecological systems, Unesco-MAB sites and Ramsar wetlands.

External activities

Member of GA Leopold III fund
Member of GA SBBOA fund
Former chairman SECORES
Visiting Professor at UHasselt (10%)

Professional Experience

Luc is a biologist, PhD (KU Leuven, Belgium), specialised in aquatic ecology and ecotoxicology, biomonitoring with macro-invertebrates and wetlands. He did several post-docs in Sweden, South Africa and Portugal, two years teaching at Kenyatta University in Kenya, and 10 years consultancy bureau in Germany, He then became program officer at the Flemish Inter-University Council for Development Cooperation (VLIR-UOS, Brussels), where he managed university projects for Suriname, Ethiopia, South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya. Since 2013 he is coordinator of the CEBioS program at the Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences in Brussels, Belgium. With an administrative and scientific staff of 10 persons, CEBioS supports policy and capacity building on biodiversity issues in Benin, Burundi, DR Congo, Vietnam and several Sahel countries. It is funded by the Belgian Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGD). Luc was also in 2017-2019 promoter of the EVAMAB project, funded by the Belgian Science Policy administration BELSPO. EVAMAB supports the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere program, by focusing on the valuation of ecosystem services in four MAB sites, located in Benin, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia. Luc published over 50 peer reviewed articles on aquatic biomonitoring, and issues related to capacity building, biodiversity and participative stakeholder engagement related to conservation. In his free time Luc likes writing, is a fervent photographer and is curious of the world through his travels.

Dissemination activities

Biosphere reserves and human well-being: lessons from UNESCO’s EVAMAB project

Natuurbehoud in Afrika is meer dan groen kolonialisme

From page 108 : Environnement. Le retour du sauvage.

Publication highlights

- L. Janssens de Bisthoven, A-J. Rochette, I. Janssens and J. Hugé, 2022. Introduction. Biosphere reserves and people: emerging needs demand a better understanding of ecosystem services. In: Guidance for the Assessment of Ecosystem Services in African Biosphere Reserves: A Way Forward to Sustainable Development. Paris, UNESCO Publishing

- Janssens de Bisthoven, L., Vanhove, M., Rochette, AJ. Hugé, J., L. Brendonck, 2022. Stakeholder Analysis on Ecosystem Services of Lake Manyara Sub-basin (Tanzania). How to Overcome Confounding Factors. Environmental Management. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-021-01466-x

- Janssens de Bisthoven, L., Vanhove, M.P.M., Rochette, A.-J., Hugé J., Verbesselt, S, Machunda, R., Munishi, L., Wynants, M., Steensels, A., Malan-Meerkotter, M., Henok, S., Nhiwatiwa, T., Casier, B., Kiwango, Y.A., Kaitila R., Komakech, H., Brendonck, L., 2020. Social-ecological assessment of Lake Manyara basin, Tanzania: a mixed method approach. Journal of Environmental Management, 267, 110594. IF 2019: 5.647.

- Odountan, O.H., Janssens de Bisthoven, L., Abou, Y. , Eggermont, H., 2019. Biomonitoring of lakes using macroinvertebrates: recommended indices and metrics for use in West Africa and developing countries. Hydrobiologia 826, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-018-3745-2. IF 2019: 2.385;

- Janssens de Bisthoven, L., J. Postma, P. Parren, K. Timmermans and F. Ollevier, 1998. Relations between heavy metals in aquatic sediments, in Chironomus larvae, and their morphological deformities. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci, 55: 688-703. IF 1998: 1.737; IF 2019: 2.849