Experts stress on need for biodiversity data for Himalayan Region
A two-day workshop "Linking Geodata with Biodiversity Information in the
Himalayas" organised by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain
Development (ICIMOD) and the Global Mountain Biodiversity Programme (GMBA)
concluded on Sunday (Nov 16) with a call to create a mountain biodiversity
information network in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region for mutual benefit
and trans boundary cooperation.
The workshop was organised as a precursor to the ongoing International
Mountain Biodiversity Conference and was attended by representatives from
ICIMOD's regional member countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan,
China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. The workshop emphasized the
increasing need for geo-coded information in the inventory and assessment
of biodiversity that are essential for management strategies and
conservation interventions as well as for developing and testing
scientific hypotheses.
Dr. Andreas Schild, Director General of ICIMOD welcomed the participants
and emphasised the importance of geo-coded information in understanding
the rapid environmental changes that are taking place in mountain
ecosystems.
Professor Christian Körner, chair of the Global Mountain Biodiversity
Programme, stressed the biophysical characteristics of the mountains which
are endowed with immense biodiversity. Locational information is not only
fundamental for understanding biodiversity but also helps us to explore
the evolutionary process of species. There is a need to build a corporate
community for making mountain biodiversity information available to a
wider scientific community and policy-makers.
ICIMOD and GMBA shared their experiences in developing GIS-enabled
biodiversity portals as a gateway for biodiversity information and
demonstrated the benefit of geo-referenced biodiversity data for
integrated analysis and spatial visualisation of biodiversity information
in relation to climate, land use, physiography, and other important
parameters. The workshop participants deliberated on ways of improving the
biodiversity database at the national and local levels, the need for
standardisation and harmonisation for data exchange, and providing a way
to facilitate easy and open access to geo-coded biodiversity information.
The workshop participants emphasised the role of ICIMOD as a regional
knowledge hub on biodiversity by linking with global level initiatives and
customising relevant international knowledge and experience, and thereby
transferring the necessary technology to the member countries. The
participants stressed the importance of creating a mountain biodiversity
information network in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region for mutual benefit
and transboundary cooperation. nepalnews.com Nov 18 08
