During COP15 the newspaper 'The Copenhagen Post' publishes a special edition of their newspaper called 'The COP15 post'. The newspaper can be found on the web (http://cop15post.com) and 10,000 printed newspapers are daily distributed around the city of Copenhagen.

 

The article on GBIF below was published in the 17 December edition and is written by Claire Doole who is a freelance journalist resident in Geneva, Switzerland.

By Claire Doole

As delegates in Copenhagen search for ways to formulate a new global deal on climate change, they may be unaware of a key initiative that can help countries improve their policies on combating the impacts of climate change. It has the cooperation and support of some of the most influential countries in the world, is endorsed by scientists, and has the potential to better and even save the lives of millions of people. Furthermore it broadens the understanding of our planet in a way that was unimaginable before the dawn of the internet. But most of all, it is open for anyone to use and is free of charge.  Welcome to GBIF – the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Originally set up by OECD countries in 2001, GBIF - an independent, government-funded initiative - offers a common platform for biodiversity and ecosystem information to governments, scientists, NGOs and the public to share standardized data about the world’s living organisms, from bacteria to plants to mammals. GBIF provides the world’s premiere portal to biodiversity data, providing access to more than 190 million records held in more than 270 institutions scattered around the world.

So how can a biodiversity data network be deployed to counter climate change? By analysing the locality data accessible via the GBIF portal to measure the effects of climate change on living organisms, researchers can provide scientifically sound information for governments to make informed decisions on how to address climate change. 

“If countries collaborate on sharing biodiversity data, they can get a clearer picture of the global, regional and national impacts of climate change and the policy measures they need to take to improve their responses,” says Dr Nick King, Executive Secretary of GBIF.

Forecasting the future
Researchers are using GBIF datasets to provide policy-makers with a range of practical solutions on how to adapt to climate change. They have, for example, generated distribution maps of species for use in climate change forecasts. A recent analysis showed that as sea temperatures warm in the Atlantic, species such as cod more northwards towards the pole, disappearing from most of the north Atlantic. This has potentially devastating consequences for the fishing communities dependent on the species for their livelihoods. As a result of these types of studies, policy-makers can better select sites for marine conservation and policies for management of fish stocks.

Similarly, GBIF-enabled data is being used to forecast the distribution of species in biodiversity hotspots. As temperatures rise, many species are migrating to new areas and, according to research carried out by Dr. Andy Jarvis from the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Colombia, many protected areas will have to be relocated and corridors built as species try to adapt to new climate environments.

Jarvis, the 2009 winner of the GBIF Ebbe Nelsen prize for his pioneering work on agro-biodiversity, is a passionate advocate of GBIF’s data gateway. “I have been using the data portal for the past four years and it has made a massive difference to my work,” he says. “Before I would spend six months tracking down information on 20 species, but now it is just a mouse click away.”

Advancing science
Jarvis has also made use of the GBIF interconnected databases for his research into breeding new varieties of crops that are better adapted to changing climatic conditions. The GBIF network provides information on where wild relatives of crop plants – key to breeding new varieties of drought- and disease-resistant crops – can be found and what their conservation status is. But they too are under threat from climate change, with GBIF-enabled forecasts indicating that many plant species will be adversely impacted in warmer parts of the globe such as sub-Saharan Africa, and around the Mediterranean.

 “It is vital that we conserve these crop wild relatives in the wild or in gene banks,” says Jarvis, “as they are a vital weapon in the fight for global food security.”

GBIF-enabled data can be used in a variety of novel ways to advance scientific research on climate change impacts on biodiversity. They can be used to analyze distributions of disease vectors and predict emergent diseases as well as be applied to the regulation of genetically modified crops, predict places where previously unknown populations of threatened species might be found, and track the spread of invasive species and identify likely invasion routes.

According to Dr King, GBIF does much more than just advance science; it can have a direct influence on policy. In Japan, he explains, the large mouth bass was introduced from North America with disastrous consequences on local fish populations. The predatory fish multiplied rapidly, ate native Japanese fish and replaced native populations.

“Japanese policy-makers needed to know which areas of the country were most at risk from an invasion of large mouth bass. By analyzing and comparing digital specimen data obtained through GBIF, they were able to develop sound conservation policy to protect native species and as a result the Diet [Japan’s parliament] passed its invasive alien species act in June 2004.”

The same kind of predictions, he adds, can help policymakers elsewhere plan and prevent the further spread of other harmful invasive species, or boost beneficial species such as pollinators.

Sharing information
King believes that with even greater collaboration, countries can reap even more benefits from this global network of biodiversity data repositories. The network already allows integration between some 8000 datasets worldwide and is growing rapidly.  

“The more countries that join GBIF and adopt the common standards and data-sharing protocols, the more information we can link and unlock to help all parties better predict environmental and social change and find practical solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing our planet.”

GBIF has expanded from an initial 17 OECD countries to 53 today, and membership is open to all governments. According to Jarvis, the facility is still “underused and under appreciated”.

“It is very popular in Europe and in the US but some of the mega-biodiverse counties like China and Brazil are not yet benefitting.”

According to most studies, around three-quarters of all species of plants, animals and other organisms are found in the tropics. However, Asia, Africa and Latin America are under-represented and GBIF is working hard on extensive training programmes to assist less developed countries build the infrastructure and skills they need to benefit from this global network.

GBIF users like Jarvis believe that the relatively low representation from developing countries is due to both a lack of awareness about the network and an initial reluctance to share data. While GBIF acknowledges that there are sensitivities around sharing biodiversity data, the organization has developed best practices on how to deal with problems which are of common concern to countries. For example, masking the geographical co-ordinates of a specific location is a simple procedure. Countries decide for themselves how much and which data to make accessible and can withdraw access to published data at any time.

With 2010 designated as the UN International Year for Biodiversity, GBIF is looking to double membership, particularly from developing countries. At the climate change conference in Copenhagen, where the GBIF Secretariat is based, Dr. King and his team have been on a drive to promote the services of the organisation.

“Our model shows that international cooperation in data sharing can improve policy responses and ultimately save lives, improve livelihoods and protect our natural heritage.  Government participation in multilateral initiatives such as GBIF is crucial for the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity.”

All recognised governments and international organisations are eligible to join GBIF.  For further information, please go to the website www.gbif.org or contact the GBIF Secretariat on info_@If you can read this, please upgrade to a modern browser.gbif.org.

Claire Doole is a freelance journalist resident in Geneva, Switzerland.

The PDF version of 'The COP15 Post' of 17 December 2009 can be downloaded from: http://cop15post.com/2009/12/17/pdf-download/issue-9/