Biodiversity Information for Cooperation and Development in Ghana

Biodiversity Information for Cooperation and Development in Ghana

Alex AsaseGhana Biodiversity Information Facility (GhaBIF)

Department of Botany, University of GhanaEmail: aasase@ug.edu.gh

Tel:+23324418800

IntroductionIn Ghana and widely within Africa, biodiversity is of

immense importance for daily subsistence, health care and nutrition as well as for marketing and economic income.

However, several factors continue to pose significant threats to biodiversity in Ghana.

The NBSAP has identified lack of accurate information on the current status of biodiversity in Ghana as one of major constraints to sustainable development.

How do we obtain biodiversity information in order to support cooperation and development in Ghana?

Deployment of GBIF informatics suite to address the biodiversity information needs in Ghana

But there are a number of obstacles that requires attention / solutions!

What are these?

Data Types and Integration

Identification to

ols

Images o

f specie

s

Descriptions

Habitat

Phenological

Conserva

tion status

Plant-anim

al Intera

ctions

Ditribution m

aps

Web-in

teracti

ve dist

ribution m

aps0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Perc

enta

ge n

umbe

r of

res

pond

ents

Training and Capacity Building

GBIF Informatics Suites.

Digitization, data cleaning and publishing . Database management.

Intellectual Property Right (IPR) issues.

Niche Modelling.

Tools and Infrastructure Requirements

Software and hardware.Uninterrupted power supply.Internet and broadband issues

Partnerships Lack of synergy.

Collaboration amongst institutions within Ghana and elsewhere on best practices.

Data repatriation.

Role of Citizen Science To collect observation data and traditional knowledge. Monitoring and conservation of biodiversity. Training of Parataxonomist for inventories.

Products to support resource managers and users.

Products to guide national policy in making strategic planning.

User-Friendly Products and Policy markers

Funds

Why TDWGS?

because there are no sets of standards on biodiversity information needed for cooperation and sustainable development !

Thus a group to develop and promote effective biodiversity information standards that will support cooperation and development is urgently needed.

Acknowledgments

• GBIF• Bioversity International• JRS Biodiversity Foundation• University of Ghana