Fatima Parker-Allie 28 October 2014 Overview SANBI Background and - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Biodiversity Information Management at SANBI Mobilising Biodiversity Information in Support of Science and Policy

Fatima Parker-Allie 28 October 2014

Overview

• SANBI Background and Value Chain
• SABIF
• Capacity Development
• Regional Engagement
• Data Mobilization
• Informatics Platforms

• The South African National Biodiversity Institute was established under the National

Environmental Management Act, No. 10 of 2004. This act places a strong responsibility on SANBI to monitor and report to the Minister on (and amongst others), – the status of the Republic’s biodiversity; – the status of all listed invasive species; – the conservation of all listed and threatened or protected species; – the coordination and promotion of the taxonomy of South Africa’s biodiversity

• One of SANBI’s very clear mandates are to “Collect, generate, process, coordinate and

disseminate information about biodiversity and sustainable use of indigenous biological resources and maintain databases”.

• As a knowledge-based organisation, biodiversity information is the key resource which drive

research and innovation, and informs planning and policy development processes, to support national development objectives.

SANBI Background

SANBI’s value chain builds from a foundation of basic scientific information to create assessments and monitoring that can influence policy and contribute to government objectives.

Human Capital Development

The SANBI Value Chain

NBA 2018

NBA National Biodiversity Assessment

• 1. Provides

headline indicators for monitoring and reporting

• 2. Summarises

spatial biod priorities

• 3. Based on best

avail science NBSAP National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan

• 1. Broad and

comprehensive

• 2. Sets strategic
• bjectives
• 3. Sets long

term targets

• 4. Based on

stakeholder consultation NBF National Biodiversity Framework

• 1. Focused
• 2. Identifies top

priority actions and targets for next five years

Informs Informs CBD Requirement Biodiversity Act Requirement

NBA informs NBSAP and NBF

Establishment of SABIF

• South Africa became a country participant in GBIF in 2003
• Here, a decision was made by the (DST) that being a member of the GBIF would assist South

Africa in meeting its own need to – develop a stronger network of biodiversity informatics professionals, – to develop the science of biodiversity informatics, – to expedite the dissemination of biodiversity data – And to share data using common data standards and tools

• DST thus made a decision to fund GBIF-related activities, which ultimately became linked to

the government’s mandate to develop a ten-year innovation plan, which strives to drive the transformation of South Africa’s economy from a resource-based economy to a knowledge- based economy, in which production and dissemination of knowledge leads to economic benefits

• The GBIF/SABIF platform is one such innovative science initiative, which ultimately enables

generation of knowledge, through the initial building blocks of data mobilization, and contributes to the South African government’s broader motives.

• SABIF (the country node of GBIF) was initiated, to address the country’s need for a

knowledge-management system for researchers, policy makers, and conservation scientists and practitioners to access, share, and disseminate primary biodiversity data, while at the same time having access to global information relevant to South Africa.

• SABIF Node is a programme of the Biodiversity Information Management and

Planning Directorate of SANBI

• SABIF is a vibrant community , with > 18 organisations in the country engaged in

data sharing activities.

• Africa wide Partnerships with more than 20 GBIF participant countries and

international organisations.

SABIF:Key objectives and strengths through its network of Partners:

SA become a country participant

• 2003 (>10 yrs old)
• Data mobilisation through a funded process (> R1m / yr)
• Capacity building initiatives (implementation of a strategy)
• Growing networks in BIM, awareness raising and outreach
• Regional engagement and leadership
• Promoting data sharing through implementation of data

standards

• SO1. Grow relevant

skills

University departments Students UWC – SANBI MoU Postgrad research hub Bursaries Intern programme GreenMatter

• SO2. Build a robust

team

SANBI BIM staff (SABIF) Internal learning sessions Training Recruitment Skills matrix and development plan

• SO3. Improve quality

and use of information

Data providers Data users Training Providers: Data mobilisation and fitness for use Users: Website use Modeling

• SO4. Grow an inspired

coordinated network

Current and potential users and providers BIMF User needs analysis Communication and marketing

Holistic Approach to Capacity Development

Target markets Activities

Research Agenda and Curricula Development

• A conceptual Framework for advancing the field of biodiversity informatics, through the

establishment of curricula and the identification of key research questions or areas – is being developed.

• Forms part of the UWC-SANBI initiative to further develop a post-graduate research hub in

Biodiversity Information Management at the UWC, to drive towards the establishment of a Southern Africa Centre of Excellence in Biodiversity Informatics

• 1st Post doc started in October, to support the development of a Biodiversity Informatics Research

Strategy and to grow the Postgraduate Hub to a Centre of Excellence.

Regional Engagement

• In Africa, a strong regional collaboration has developed and the Nodes (approx 23) are working

towards a data-science interface. Africa has also established a GBIF-Africa Science Committee and identified a thematic priority project to mobilise invasive alien species.

• To support a data-science interface, a project which aims to mobilise policy relevant data has been

developed by SANBI with support from GBIF, and has been funded by the JRS foundation.

July 2010 March 2011 Sept 2011

Planning meeting In Kenya ACM meeting in South Africa 2nd Regional meeting in South Africa Identified the need For An action plan

July 2012

3rd Regional meeting, Rwanda ARCOS

June 2010 April 2013

4th Regional meeting in South Africa

July 2014

5th Regional Meeting, Benin

Google Plus: Mobilising Africa’s Biodiversity Data

11,665,938 biodiversity records are served via the SABIF website

12 245 9 294 709 85 786 285 980 44 232 1 868 311 74 675 Amphibians Birds Fish Invertebrates Mammals Plants Reptiles

Data from data providers and grant recipients Currently approximately 14 million (from > 15 organisations) has been mobilized (figure includes the delivery on all outstanding projects) More data

Data on a new kingdom – Fungi Ticks, dung beetles, nematodes, seaweeds, plants etc

Data Applications/ Uses of Primary Biodiversity Data

Climate change studies, Niche Modelling, Land use planning and management, Use as indicator species and for determining environmental health

specimens

• bservations

images

• S. Van Noordt
• R. Jacobs

• Two mechanisms of data sharing exist for Data

Providers/publishers:

• 1. Data can be shared by data

providers/publishers following the signing

• f a data sharing agreement (non-funded)

– Currently 7 data providers exist including museums, research institutions, herbaria and universities

• 2. Data Mobilization through SABIF Funding:

Call for Digitization Applications – Data is provided to SABIF, and hosted on the SABIF server. Ownership remains with the grant recipient

Data Mobilization through SABIF

Taken Forward through FBIP

Content

Tools , user guides and defined standards >35 biodiversity plans >400 individual map layers Red list status

• f 20 456

plant species 120 000 plant species names > 11.5 million specimen records Information

• n 780

animals species Floristic information and pictures for over 10 000 plant species

Open & free access

Grants for research, data mobilization and capacity development: main mechanism for achieving outputs

• Large grants: up to R2 million / year for 3 years
• Themes for large projects: identified by stakeholders who use

biodiversity information: biocontrol, soil biodiversity, marine biodiversity, medicinal plants and animals, biodiversity functionality

• 2 large projects / year
• Also small grants that contribute to
• bjectives
• Biodiversity surveys (2013)

Data Use Cases

Provides Legal guidelines on managing biodiversity information, which strives to ensure easy access to information whilst simultaneously providing protection to sensitive data and maintaining intellectual property rights.

At a more global level, Open access to Information has also been addressed as a collective of 34 governments including South Africa - OECD/CST Science, Technology and Innovation for the 21st Century, 29-30 Jan 2004

Policy and Legislation

Biodiversity Information Policy Framework

Chosen strategy to reach the goal (Information Management/Informatics)

• SANBI has has a number of systems and tools in place to support its biodiversity information

needs and responsibilities, for the country.

• Biodiversity Advisor provides access to data and content through SANBI’s information systems.

More recently a shared national vision for an innovative information architecture has been developed, and will evolve into Biodiversity Advisor 2. This integrated architecture will more easily respond to policy imperatives relating to mining and industry, agriculture, energy etc.

www.sanbi.org http://biodiversityadvisor.sanbi.org/ www.sabif.ac.za

• Thank you to the TDWG Organisation Team

and JRS Foundation for facilitating my participation.

Acknowledgements