Global Biodiversity Information Facility holds second capacity building event in SEE region

Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), an international network aimed at providing data about all types of life on Earth, has held the second capacity building event in the SEE region to present its program to support the use of biodiversity data in the decision-making process.

In cooperation between GIZ Open Regional Fund for South East Europe – Implementation of Biodiversity Agreements (GIZ ORF-BDU) and GBIF, a Training on Data Use for Decision Making was organized in Sarajevo (BiH), 4 to 6 December. Fourteen participants from SEE, Croatia, and one from Georgia were trained in processing GBIF-mediated data for use in species Red Listing and ecological niche modeling and mainstreaming those analyses within a policy making process.

Participants were introduced to a range of tools that could be used for these purposes including QGIS, IUCN Categories and Criteria, Wallace and stakeholder analysis and communication planning.

“This workshop provides a first step between the integration of biodiversity data within the decision making process in SEE. With the skills that the participants have gained at the workshop, the region is now better equipped than ever to incorporate data into decision making,” Dr. Andrew Rodrigues, trainer, said.

Dr. Hannah Owens, trainer
“Biodiversity data have a broad range of applications, but sometimes it is hard to know where to start a project. We have hopefully provided a road map for participants to translate raw biodiversity data into products that can inform policy that will positively affect conservation efforts.”

GBIF has developed a capacity building program to support the use of biodiversity data in the decision-making process. Training in Sarajevo was the second capacity-building event of this kind in the SEE region.

Marina Janjoš, Institute of Nature Conservation of Vojvodina Province
“GBIF training was full of useful information. The lecturers did their best to explain and practically show us the work on the foreseen topics. I will be happy to respond to the call for some of the next GBIF training.”

This kind of program is important because, in order to halt the continuing decline in biodiversity, it is critical that conservation decisions are based on the best evidence possible.

GBIF is an international network and research infrastructure funded by the world’s governments and aimed at providing anyone, anywhere, open access to data about all types of life on Earth. At the moment, the GBIF has 97 participant institutions and organizations, and it holds 1.387.842.071 occurrence records available via www.gbif.org

GBIF is one of the reference points for the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Adi Habul, Environmental Fund of FBiH
“In the light of the process of developing an Information system for the nature of the Federation of BiH, the GBIF workshop was very helpful for my colleague Tatjana Kapetanović and me, as well as for our institution. This was an opportunity for us to improve our knowledge and skills in the area of data use. Also, a new experience in the field of handling and modeling biodiversity data for decision-makers will help us in everyday work, especially in the way of using new IT solutions (Wallace, GEOCAT, etc.) for estimation of ecological niche and presentation of the results to our decision-makers, as well as to the other focus/target groups.”

GIZ ORF-BDU established formal partnership with Global Biodiversity Information Facility, with the aim to increase capacities on biodiversity data mobilization and use in the SEE economies, as well as to ensure that biodiversity data from the SEE region are mobilized and available to European and global scientific and nature conservation audience, as basis for nature conservation policy making and implementation.

Edita Zekjirovikj, Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning of North Macedonia
“I would like to express my special thanks to the organizers GIZ and GBIF for giving me the opportunity to take part in this excellent training. I had the opportunity to expand my knowledge of using biodiversity data in the areas of biodiversity management, scientific analysis and national policy making. In the course topics, we learned how to process a GBIF-mediated data set and make it “fit for purpose”, create species distribution maps, assess the species status according to the categories and criteria of the IUCN and create ecological niche models with the use of different software tools. I hope that we will make every effort to disseminate this valuable information and practices in our national institutions. Great praises for the GBIF mentors, as well.”

The training is supported within the BIMR 2 component of the GIZ ORF-BDU, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ).