INBO (Research Institute For Nature And Forest)

Belgium · Research

The Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO) is a Flemish government agency dedicated to nature conservation, forest management, and biodiversity research. It operates as an independent research center under the Flemish policy area Environment, employing around 200 staff members, with additional support from 130 personnel through its Own Capital projects. INBO serves as a key knowledge hub for evidence-based environmental policymaking in Flanders. INBO conducts scientific research on various ecological topics, including species populations and climate change impacts. It provides policy support by offering data and recommendations to government agencies and conservation organizations. The institute maintains open-access databases for biodiversity monitoring and publishes biennial Nature Reports on Flanders' ecological status. INBO also develops regional Red Lists of endangered species and collaborates internationally through networks like ALTER-Net and IUCN. Its recent initiatives include a 2030 Research Agenda addressing challenges such as habitat fragmentation and biodiversity decline.