START’s Program on Biodiversity Conservation under a Changing Climate promotes experiential learning, awareness building and networking for managing emerging risks from climate change and other drivers in the Albertine Rift biodiversity hotspot in Eastern Africa. Comprising parts of Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, DR Congo and Uganda, the region is known for its enormous diversity of flora and fauna and its unique ecosystems and habitat. It is also a source of vital ecosystem services. Current conservation strategies designed for a more static climate may not adequately address new and additional risks from climate change. Managing for greater resilience requires targeted capacity building of local individuals and institutions to enable a continuous process of learning for the assessment of multiple risks and the development of context specific adaptation responses.