IABIN: Building a Hemispheric Biodiversity Network

1. Symposium on Key Innovations in Biodiversity Informatics October 21-22, 2002 IABIN: Building a Hemispheric Biodiversity Network Barbara Bauldock U.S. Geological Survey Coordinator, IABIN Planning Team

2. THE NEEDFORIABIN: Biodiversity conservation requires timely, accurate and scientifically credible information Information relevant to a nation’s biodiversity conservation effort extends beyond that nation’s borders

3. Opportunities (and challenges) for biodiversity information management in Brazil the Americas • Biggest biodiversity in the world • Poor integration among institutions, specially for those located in remote biodiversity-rich areas • Development of low cost standards and protocols (software in the public domain, open platforms, etc) • Unbalanced communication services among regions

4. IABIN’S CHARTER: Seek to establish an Inter-American Biodiversity InformationNetwork, primarily through the Internet, that will promote compatible means of collection, communication, and exchange of information relevant to decision-making and education on biodiversity conservation, and that builds upon such initiatives as the Clearing-House Mechanism provided for in the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the Man and Biosphere Network (MABNET Americas), and the Biodiversity Conservation Information System (BCIS), an initiative of nine programs of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and partner organizations. -- Initiative 31, San Cruz (Bolivia) Plan of Action, December 1996

5. Voluntary, diverse, distributed managed network IABIN PRINCIPLES: • Ownership and control of information is retained by information provider • Intellectual property rights are respected and sources acknowledged by users, but ownership and control of information is retained by information provider • Free and open access is encouraged, but ownership and control …

6. T O P D O W N • Summit of the Americas for Sustainable Development P U M O T T O B • Santa Cruz Plan of Action • IABIN Governance HOW DO WE BUILD IT? • International working groups • National initiatives • Institutions • Individual researchers

7. GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE • IABIN Council • Official IABIN Focal Points (28 countries to date) • IGO representatives (CHM, GBIF, NABIN) • NGO representatives (NatureServe, CRIA, BCIS, etc.) • Representatives from ITIS, Species 2000, ATCC, universities, … • IABIN Executive Committee • 8 countries + 1 IGO/NGO  GBIF • IABIN Planning Team (in lieu of IABIN Hub) Equal voices, consensus decisions

8. INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS ENSURE COMPLEMENTARITY IABIN COUNCIL CHM GBIF NABIN • CHM representative • GBIF representative • NABIN representative • Associate membership • MOC • Rep on IAC • Common FPs • Individual country participation (7 to date) • Canadian FP • Mexican FP • U.S. FP • Committee leadership

9. GOVERNMENTS MUSEUMS UNIVERSITIES PARTICIPANT SPECTRA *Providers – Users* *Public – Private* *Not for Profit – Commercial* *Experts – Lay people* *Heads of States – Private Citizens* *Government agencies – NGOs* *K-12 – Post Docs*

10. PARTICIPANT SPECTRA • Varying requirements • Varying capacity to access • Varying backgrounds and understanding • Varying languages and language levels

11. TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES IABIN is possible only through the incremental enhancement of ongoing efforts by promoting interoperability within the network: • Evaluating current practices and policies • Selecting standards: • Exchange protocols • Record formats • Controlled vocabularies • Encouraging adoption of standards • Sharing tools, methodologies, expertise

12. FINANCIAL CHALLENGES • Progress to date thanks to funding from OAS, World Bank, USAID, Governments of the U.S. and Brazil, and in-kind contributions from participants. • 2002 Financial Picture: • IABIN Planning Team support continues • I3N Project funded by U.S. State Department • Financial Sustainability study completed • GEF awards $650K grant for consultative process!

13. Recommended sources: • International and bilateral agencies • Private foundations • Main environmental NGOs • Fees from country members • Corporations • Universities and research institutes Financial Sustainability Strategy

14. IABIN GEF PROJECT • World Bank is funding agency • OAS is executing agency • IABIN Executive Committee directs and reviews • Consultants will perform work • Regional Coordinator: Alberto Oriza-Barrios • 7 Sub-Regional Specialists Region 7: N. Am. Region 5: Caribbean Region 6: Central America Region 4: Venez/Guy/ Sur/Trin&Tob Region 1: Andean Region 2 Brazil Region 3: So. Cone

15. IABIN GEF PROJECT Sub-Regional Specialists’ Charge: • Determine data and information requirements and resources Types: • Specimen data • Observations • Literature • Project descriptions • Experts • Authorities • ?? Scope: • Biological • Ecological • Environmental • Economic? • Sociological? • Management? • ??

16. IABIN GEF PROJECT Sub-Regional Specialists’ Charge: • Determine data and information requirements and resources • Document training and capacity- building needs • Human • Technological • Infrastructural • Initiate partnerships • Hold workshops to increase participant interaction

17. IABIN GEF PROJECT • Coordinate sub-regional specialists • Define network architecture • Technical specifications • Configuration management plan • Develop 5-year implementation plan • Priorities for incorporation of content • Steps for capacity building • Estimated costs • Prepare input to GEF proposal Regional Coordinator’s Charge:

18. $ Participant contribution: • data • technologies • tools • expertise $ TODAY’S CHALLENGE… Incremental cost to facilitate IABIN access GEF contribution: Cash Quantifiable Cost of development for participant purposes Quantifiable? Cost? … or value?

19. IABIN is the sum of the contributions made by its participants What can your institution contribute?

20. For more information: • Visit <www.iabin.net> and <www.iabin-us.org> • Subscribe to the IABINfriends listserv (see Web site) • Email: barbara_bauldock@usgs.gov agrosse@usgs.gov