Presentation conducted in Mexico at COP13 covering aspects of biodiversity data mobilization in Africa, and a strategic approach to enhance capacity and further develop networks to support a Biodiversity Informatics agenda, for an enhanced ability to contribute to international policy agendas such as CBD, IPBES and sustainable development goals.

1. Mobilizing Data, Building Human Capacity and African Regional Engagement are
key for better Biodiversity Policy and Management
Dr. Tanya Abrahamse and Ms. Fatima Parker‐Allie
COP13 Side Event 6th December 2016

2. • Africa is one of the most megadiverse continents in the world.
• Here biodiversity plays a critical role in sustainable development, provides vital
ecosystem services and is one of our greatest regional assets.
• The benefits of biodiversity are crucial to key economic sectors (i.e. forestry,
agriculture, fisheries, tourism, health and energy) and to providing solutions to
sustainable development and poverty alleviation on the continent.
• The management of our natural assets and the information related to this are
crucial.
Introduction

3. • We therefore need to ensure that the wealth of data which we generate, manage, coordinate, and
manipulate is both accurate and openly accessible.
• Ensuring improved availability, accuracy, reliability and fitness for use, is key to the efficient use of
data and information for decision making. Ultimately, we cannot manage what we don’t measure.
• Of the c. 0.5 billion species occurrence records that have been published through GBIF, less than ±4%
are about African biodiversity, despite Africa harbouring a considerable share of the world’s
biodiversity
Introduction

4. DATA PUBLISHING ABOUT & FROM AFRICA
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Millions
Total data available about biodiversity
in Africa
Data published by African Participants
African Participants publishing about
other regions
11,875,489 records
23,965,127 records
244,906 records

5. 0 40 000 80 000 120 000 160 000
Guinea
DR Congo
Mauritania
Morocco
ICIPE
Burkina Faso
Togo
Tanzania
Cameroon
EWT
Madagascar
ARCOS
Ghana
Benin
• South Africa publishes the
majority of the data records
from the region: 11,501,665
• An additional 11 countries
and 3 organization
Participants from the region
publish data
• EWT has recently published
data for the first time
• 4 Countries publish
species checklist data
• A number of the institutions
participating in BID will also
contribute to the publication
figures (not included here)
Which African Participants are Publishing Data?

6. • Since 2009 GBIF enabled a series of regional engagement opportunities, to enhance collaborative action in the area of Biodiversity
Information Management. Through the regionalisation strategy Node Managers from approximately 16 countries and 5 organisations,
have shown a continual increase in collaboration and capacity.
• SANBI has played a strong leadership role in GBIF‐Africa, and in Oct 2015 at a GBIF‐Gov. Board side meeting in Madagascar, a
Communiqué was drafted, requesting that South Africa plays a leadership role in the establishment of the African Coordinating
Mechanism (ACM), which is the ultimate Vision for a Formal Regional Structure for biodiversity information management on the
continent.
• Through the ACM, the African Nodes strive to become the data‐science interface for this mega‐diverse continent, in support of the
implementation of the Africa’s Science and Technology Consolidated Plan of Action, amongst other regional policy objectives.
• Strong regional consortium has started developing in the last few years, especially in West Africa – which is a testament to the success
of the regional approach in Africa and the value of a more unified approach.
Niger and Nigeria also became Participants
post May 2016
GBIF‐Africa

7. Biological surveys of Reptiles and Amphibians in
hotspots and areas of conservation concern
Project Coordinator: Kristal Tolley
Duration: 2014‐2021
Partners: Mozambique & Malawi
JRS – Mobilising Africa’s Policy Relevant Data ;
Africa Rising
Angola, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, CAR, Congo,
DRC, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi,
Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Namibia,
Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo,
Uganda, Zimbabwe.
ABC – preselect 10 countries
Support the IUCN Species Survival Commission to
improve the
conservation status and sustainable use of wild
chameleons
since 2010 ‐ Ongoing
Scope: Continental
Red List Authority (RLA) ‐ Focal Point: Kristal Tolley;
GBIF Africa (Continental in Scope) 2009‐Ongoing
Fatima Parker‐Allie
Benin, Cameroon, CAR, Congo, DRC, Ghana, Guinea,
Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Tanzania,
Togo, Uganda, SA; ARCOS, EWT, ICLEI, HoA‐REC&N
West African Consortium , with 5 major global
herbaria– “Capture of primary biodiversity data on
West African plants”; SEP2D – Francophone
countries
SADC Crop Wild Relatives
2014‐2016
3 SADC countries : Zambia, South Africa and
Mauritius
BHL Africa
Scope: Continental
Vital Signs
Scope: Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya,
Uganda
Maputaland‐Pondoland‐Albany Hotspot
Learning Network
•Coordinator: Tammy Smith, Duration: 3 years
•Partners: Swaziland, Mozambique
NCAP:
Scope: Madagascar, Mozambique, Botswana,
Namibia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Lesotho
Connect Project
Scope: Mozambique, Ghana, Uganda
Barcode of Wildlife Project
Duration: 3 years (2013‐2015)
Scope: Nigeria and Kenya
African Plants Initiative
•Partners: Mozambique, Angola; (2004‐06)
•SABONET
•Partners: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho,
Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, SA,
Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe
•Funding: GEF/UNDP,
•Co‐funded – USAID/IUCN ROSA
A Selection of SANBI’s Past, Current and Future Regional Engagements in Africa

8. Objectives:
i) Raise awareness of biodiversity data for sustainable development
ii) Showcase relevant tools, resources & learning networks
iii) Compile regional plan of action & proclaim a declaration
Developing a Plan of Action
Declaration

9. • Goal: To capacitate and incentivise three African countries to mobilise as much biodiversity data as possible
(through an adjudicated competition) in support of sustainable development
• Implemented by SANBI in collaboration with UNEP‐WCMC and GBIF
• This entails several sub‐goals:
– Enhance the capacities of the 3 countries to manage and share biodiversity data by providing an intensive tailor‐made training
programme.
– Establish cohesive and productive national networks through organising Biodiversity Information Management Forums
(BIMFs) and compiling ‘national data mobilisation road maps’.
– Strengthen incentives for data publishing by way of a competition.
– Increase the volume of data published by African institutions.
– Increase the awareness of biodiversity benefits (and biodiversity data benefits) through a communications campaign.
– End‐users: scientists, civil servants and policy‐makers.
SANBI has hosted the BIMF annually since 2007. As part of the ABC project this model will be emulated in 3 African countries to build
capacity in BIM
Africa Biodiversity Challenge: Unlocking Data for Sustainable Development

10. • SANBI has a key role to play in this very active regional landscape. This organisation has a mandate to monitor, manage, co‐ordinate,
research and report on many aspects of biodiversity within the country.
• One of SANBI’s very clear mandates is to also to “Collect, generate process, coordinate and disseminate information about
biodiversity and sustainable use of indigenous biological resources and maintain databases”. As a knowledge‐based organisation,
biodiversity information is the key resource which drive research and innovation, informs planning and policy development processes,
informs decisions and is the basis to evaluate progress and impact.
• It is therefore important that our biodiversity and biodiversity information is managed as a strategic asset that will leverage shared
value to South Africa in supporting sustainable decisions towards the broader national developmental objectives.
• SANBI is a dedicated national biodiversity institution that bridges science, knowledge, policy and implementation. SANBI’s value chain
operates across the divisions.
human wellbeing
improved service delivery
job creation
harnessing biodiversity value
investment in ecological
infrastructure
ecosystem‐based adaptation to
climate change
streamlined environmental
decision‐making
FOUNDATIONS OF BIODIVERSITY:
collections| taxonomy | inventory | maps |
classification of ecosystems and species
BUILDING BIODIVERSITY KNOWLEDGE:
assessments | status | trends | monitoring |
modelling
SCIENCE INTO POLICY / ACTION:
information | planning | policy advice | models
| tools
HUMAN CAPITAL
DEVELOPMENT
GARDENS
windows on biodiversity
WHAT WE DO
SANBI’s role in the National and Regional Landscape

11. The SANBI Regional Engagement Strategy has been developed to guide SANBI’s efforts in the region in support
of national and regional priorities for biodiversity management.
It provides a framework for the implementation of biodiversity priorities in the African region, as opportunities
for collaboration on the continent are growing, due to an increase in emerging economies and investment on
the continent. This provides an ideal opportunity for SANBI to consider its strategic role in the African
biodiversity research, management and policy landscape.
This African Engagement strategy will ensure that programmatic activities at the regional level are coordinated
and aligned to national government priorities and to relevant regional, international and national initiatives as
we strive towards Outcome 10 and Outcome 11, of the National Development Plan, to “Create a better South
Africa, a better Africa and a better world”.
Title of slideSANBI Regional Engagement Strategy

12. Sustainable Development Goals:
• Biodiversity has a potential role in supporting a number of SDG’s.
• SANBI thus contributes to the sustainable development goals through National and
international obligations.
• Aichi Targets of the Strategy of the CBD for 2011‐2020
– Strategic goal C: Improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity
– Strategic goal E: Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity
building.
– Target 19: By 2020, knowledge, the science base and technologies relating to biodiversity, its values, functioning, status
and trends, and the consequences of its loss, are improved, widely shared and transferred, and applied.
Regional
• Key environmental initiatives in Africa include the NEPAD Environment Initiative, the African Convention on Conservation of
Nature and Natural Resources (Maputo Convention), the environmental components of Agenda 2063, the AU Climate Change
Strategy, and the African Common Strategy on Combatting Illegal Exploitation and Illegal Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora.
Several of these merit further discussion.
• The NEPAD Environment Initiative has eight subthemes for priority interventions.
These include: combating desertification; wetland conservation; invasive alien species; coastal management; global warming
& climate change; trans‐frontier conservation areas; environmental governance; & financing.
• The African Convention on Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (Maputo Convention) is a continent‐wide
instrument for the conservation of Africa’s natural resources. South Africa signed the Convention on 18 April 2012 in Addis
Ababa and ratified this Convention in April 2013.
Policy Context for the Regional Engagement Strategy

13. National
• National Biodiversity Framework: all 6 Strategic Objectives for regional cooperation with
other Southern African countries.
• Medium Term Strategic Framework (2014‐2019):
• DST’s Ten‐Year Innovation Plan :
• National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans
Institutional
• SANBI's mandate comes from the NEMBA 2004. In the framework of this strategy, it is intended
to look at strengthening SA role in supporting SADC and other African countries in fulfilment of the
National Development Plan and international conventions including UNFCCC, UNCCD, CBD. SANBI’s
divisions supports a number of the conventions and international initiatives.
Data‐Science Platforms (GEOBON)
• Through the regional approach, it is intended to deliver data sets which contribute to the objectives
of the Global Earth Observation Biodiversity Observation Network (GEOBON), which align with the Aichi Targets.
Science‐Policy Platforms (IPBES)
• IPBES: The platform includes capacity building and the generation of data and
knowledge among its four core functions, alongside the development of policy tools and
preparation of assessments to enhance the science‐policy interface. Improving the availability of
data and information on biodiversity will strengthen the ability of developing countries to
contribute to and benefit from IPBES activities.
SDGs
International
agreements
NDP
MTSF
DEA
Outcome
s
SANBI
Prog’s
SDGsSDGs
CBD
Aichi
targets
CBD
Aichi
targets
UNCDUNCD
UNFCCCUNFCCC
Progs
e.g. GBIF
IUCN
Progs
e.g. GBIF
IUCN
CITESCITES
IPBESIPBES
Policy Context for the Regional Engagement Strategy

14. SO 1: Generate knowledge through the mobilisation of foundational data to fill data and knowledge gaps to support
education, research and decision making for sustainable development
Prioritize and promote mobilization of new data resources which combine with existing resources to maximize the coverage, completeness and resolution of data, particularly
with respect to taxonomy, geography and time
SO 2: Support Biodiversity Assessments and Planning
Enabling users to develop assessments and planning products which are of relevance and usefulness for any application
SO 3:Engaging collaboratively in the region in support of the data‐science‐ policy interface
Ensure that SANBI provides support to the region to mobilise data and information in the form and completeness required to meet the highest‐priority needs of science and,
through science, society, including supra‐national research, conservation and sustainable use, particularly through the CBD, IPBES and GEOBON.
SO 4: Capacity building across the value chain, to empower stakeholders to produce and make accessible accurate
biodiversity data, information & knowledge in support of the conventions and for sustainable development (Cross Cutting)
Build capacity to support governments, researchers & users to share, improve and use data & information through SANBI’s regional networks, in the data‐science‐policy arena
SO 5: Strengthen South Africa’s role in supporting SADC and/or other African countries in fulfilment of the National
Development Plan and international conventions including UNFCCC, UNCCD, CBD (in line with support from DEA)
5 Draft Strategic Priority Areas of the Regional Engagement Strategy

15. FBIP
Specimens/observations/
Images
Taxonomy/
Species
Sequences/
barcodes
Research /Ecological /
Monitoring data
Literature
Records
Citizen
Science
ISPOT NBA
Biodiversity Information Management Directorate
SANBI Lead ACM
GBIF‐Africa Network
GBIF EOLCatalogue of Life BHL IBOL
Geospatial
data
BHL AfricaBIOPAMA – IUCNGBIF Nodes
Extended Networks – Africa
Rising (Data‐Science‐Policy)
ACC
BID Grantees JRS
Science Policy Interface IPBES
IPBES Regional
Assessment
SDG’s CBD CMS CITES RAMSAR
sciencepolicyData
Source
data
Global
Datasets
Expert
Assessments
IUCN UNEP‐WCMC Future Earth
Taxonomic Research Ecological Research Conservation Research Agricultural Research
Human Health Climate Change
Scientific
Research
Implemen‐
tation &
Monitoring
National Government
Commitments
Schematic of the Biodiversity Informatics Landscape for
Biodiversity Evidence and Policy

16. • In a world that counts the United Nations describe data as the lifeblood of decision making and the raw
material for accountability. Thus, good and accurate data is one the key building blocks for analysis
• As huge volumes of data become available in this modern digital age, due to new and innovative
technologies, we look towards mobilising “the data revolution” for sustainable development.
• This will demand broad efforts to build capacity and increase human capital in the field of Biodiversity
Information, especially on the African continent, to fully support a data revolution for sustainable
development.
Conclusion
IEAG 2014. A world that counts. Mobilising the Data Revolution for Sustainable Development.
Report prepared by The United Nations Secretary‐General’s Independent Expert Advisory Group
on a Data Revolution for Sustainable Development, at the request of Secretary General of the
United Nations, New York.

17. Thank You