The 2nd Workshop on Biodiversity Data Sharing Environment in Asia
The 2nd Workshop on Biodiversity Data Sharing Environment in Asia Held
On April 10-12, 2014, the 2ndWorkshop II on Biodiversity Data Sharing Environment in Asia was held in Haikou, Hainan Province. It was organized by the Biodiversity Committee, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and attended by 22 participants from 9 Asia countries, including India, South Korea, Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, and 3 International organizations, such as ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Participants from China came from Department of Nature and Ecology Conservation, the Ministry of Environment Protection, Bureau of Science & Technology for Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, Institute of Zoology, Secretariat of Man and the Biosphere.
Prof. Keping Ma, Prof. Eun-Shik Kim and Prof. Shin-ichi Nakano co-chaired the public session of the workshop, which is also a symposium of 6thEAFES International Congress. Ten speakers presented the progress of biodiversity informatics in their country, including red list, species databases, Taxonomic Tree Tool and case studies of specific species.
Prof. Keping Ma and Prof. G. N. Ganeshaiah, the co-chairs of ABCDNet working group, co-chaired the internal session of the workshop. Prof. Ma introduced the progress ABCDNet has achieved, such as the development of organization, websites, databases and outreach during the past year. Participants from Malaysia, Bangladeshi and Kazakhstan, who were first invited to the workshop, introduced the biodiversity research progress in their countries and shared the progress in biodiversity databases, species checklist and endangered species assessment.
The discussion topics focused on: 1). Formulating membership application policy, member’s benefits and responsibilities; 2). Collecting Asia biodiversity data effectively; 3). Promoting priority projects in 2014; 4). Improving the book outline of Biodiversity Informatics in Asia: Status, Challenges and Opportunities and its compilation plan. ABCDNet works on promoting biodiversity related research and conservation, and encourages members to establish different Task Forces to push forward the development of ABCDNet.
The participants fully endorsed the progress of ABCDNet since its foundation, and discussed in details about the orientating, development strategies and priority projects of the network. They agreed that species checklist, species red list and online network resources were the major projects for now. Meanwhile, to actively expand ABCDNet, they decided to organize training courses, seminars and joint symposiums, and carry out publicity in important international events, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties (CBD COP).
During the workshop, participants visited the Bawangling National Forest Park, Hainan. The unique mountain rainforest left a deep impression.
(Biodiversity Committee, the Chinese Academy of Sciences)
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