Prof Sebsebe Wins Linnean Medal for his Services to Science

ADDIS ABABA – Professor Sebsebe Demissew, an Ethiopian botanist, was selected as a 2022 recipient of the Linnean Medal.

The Linnean Medal is given annually by the Linnean Society of London, the world’s oldest active society dedicated to natural history.

Prof. Sebsebe has been awarded the 2022 Linnean Medal for “outstanding work in the natural sciences”, according to the Linnean society’s announcement on April 6.

He will officially receive the award at the Society’s AGM/Anniversary Meeting in May, according to the Linnean Society of London.

Below is what the Society said about Pro Sebsebe’s contribution in the field of Botany.

Sebsebe is one of the most powerful voices for biodiversity conservation today. He has worked over three decades on the documentation of the plant resources (both wild and cultivated) of Ethiopia and Eritrea including the traditional knowledge on the use of plants by indigenous communities.

His science has gone beyond taxonomy to encompass study of the vegetation of Ethiopia, including analyses of the effects of climate change on this unique flora.

The production of field guides to charismatic plants of Ethiopia, such as orchids and aloes, has had a significant effect on increasing local interest in Ethiopia’s flora.

His work has at its heart the improvement of biodiversity knowledge for the empowerment of the people of the global South.

His leadership on the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel of IPBES (International Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) brought a strong voice for the science of natural history to global policy-making.