Building a Global Drylands Information System: A Collaborative Approach

1. Building a Global Drylands Information System: A Collaborative Approach IALC Conference and Workshop Assessing Capabilities of Soil and Water Resources in Drylands: The Role of Information Retrieval and Dissemination Technologies October 20-25, 2002

2. The Beginnings of Formal Arid Lands Research • University of Arizona • Interdisciplinary tradition dating from 1891 • Interests in unique Arizona environment • Carnegie Desert Botanical Laboratory, 1903 • UNESCO, Arid Zone Advisory Committee (1950s) • American Association for the Advancement of Science (1950s) • Series of meetings held in the Southwest

3. Arid Lands Research at the University of Arizona • The Advisory Committee for Arid Lands Research, 1957 • Rockefeller Grant, 1959 • Army Research Office Grant, 1964 • To conduct an inventory of the world’s desert environments • Institute of Arid Lands Research became the Office of Arid Lands Studies, 1964

4. Office of Arid Lands Studies • Divisions and Programs • Natural Products Center • economic botany and health in arid environments • Arizona Remote Sensing Center • remote sensing & GIS applications • Desert Research Unit • water conservation and reuse • Economic Development Program • Arid Lands Information Center

5. Arid Lands Information Center • Mission: To utilize the most cost-effective and universal means to provide access to information on the world’s arid regions • Specialized information services • Document collection • Publications • Databases • Technical assistance • Web site development

6. Reliance on Technology • Early Adopters from the Start • ALIS: the original Arid Lands Information System (1970s) • Mainframe database management system • Search for Cost-Effective Means to Disseminate information • Microcomputer systems (1980s) • CD-ROMs • Internet and World Wide Web (1990s)

7. New Type of Projects • Collaborative and interdisciplinary • Multiple partners; multiple sponsors • Focus on a variety of user needs • Leverage previous inputs

8. The University of Arizona AgNIC Project and Some of its Offspring

9. The History of ALIS • Original idea for a global arid lands information system, print-based, circa 1970 • Computerized bibliographic database • Arid Lands Thesaurus • Information papers • Arid Lands Newsletter • Vision for satellite-based system • Link research centers worldwide

10. Technology to the Rescue • The World Wide Web ah ha! • Discussions officially begin among ALIC staff in 1995 • Results: a document for an “OASIS” • Time marches on… • Piecemeal development • Various name changes • Web-site development experience

11. Where it Fits in Today’s Critical Needs • World Bank Development Report 2003 • Major challenges: • improve livelihoods on fragile lands • sustainable management of renewable natural resources • Implications: “invest in initiatives that…ensure systematic learning”

12. More Critical Needs • National Research Council: Grand Challenges in Environmental Sciences, 2001 • Biological diversity and ecosystem functioning • Land-use dynamics • Climate variability • Recommendations: • Establish research centers; support interdisciplinary research; make science useful to decision-makers, managers, and the public • International data harmonization

13. GEO 3 • Underlying Key Areas for Action: • “greater provision of and access to information in all its forms as the fundamental basis of successful planning and decision-making” • Major Challenges Include: • Threats to biodiversity • Land degradation • Pressures on/growth of urban areas • Human vulnerability to environmental change

14. Our Current Vision • Make Science Practical • Integrate science, data, applications, and location specific information and resources to facilitate learning and decision-making • Provide interpretive information and resources for multiple levels and types of users • Identify and work to fill knowledge gaps • Build Services around Collaborations, Previous Inputs, Technology, and Established Standards

15. A Prototype Home Page for the Portal

16. Combining Science/Research, Data/Tools, & Applications

17. Geo-Spatial Access

18. Sample Desert-Specific Module

19. In-Depth Analysis of Desert Region

20. Operational Issues for Collaboration • Technical Architecture • Data Integration • Information and Content • Accessibility • Intellectual Property • General Management and Sustainability • Operating procedures for collaborators • Funding options

21. Research Areas • Acquisition and conversion of data and metadata • Compatibility issues • Identification and collection of data to fill information gaps • Analysis and synthesis of data and information • Models, comparisons, interpretations • Dissemination of data and metadata • User interfaces • Visualizations, simulations, GIS applications

22. Credits • Barbara Hutchinson, Director • Carla Casler, Assistant Director • Michael Haseltine, Web Designer & Systems Support • Katherine Waser, Editor & Web Site Manager • Heather Severson, Web Designer • Anne Thwaits, Web Graphics Designer • Bill Becker, Student Library Assistant

23. Discussion Questions • Session One: • Who are the primary user groups for a drylands information system and what types of information, data, and resources are needed by each potential user group? • What organizations should be involved in developing such a system and what specific resources do these organizations bring to such a system?

24. Discussion Questions • Session Two • What are the benefits of collaboration and are there some tasks where collaboration is not useful? • What are the barriers to collaboration? • What are the technical issues that should be addressed?

26. Discussion Questions • Session Three • What is needed to make such collaborations happen? • What are possible funding options for developing a collaborative drylands information system? • What are the next steps?