The Biodiversity Information Fund for Asia (BIFA) has awarded €106,000 to four projects that support the data needs of the region's researchers and policy makers.
The projects aim to enhance data publishing capacity in 14 Asian countries and engage eight current GBIF members as well as potential new participants in the region.
The four projects include:
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The development of an open-access learning resource, or ‘biodiversity informatics cookbook’, by the GBIF nodes in India, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, to support training activities in Asia
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The development of a biodiversity database system in Vietnam, with mentoring support from JBIF, Japan’s GBIF national node
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The mobilization of biodiversity data from the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Heritage Parks—regionally significant protected areas for biodiversity—supported by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), TaiBIF and GBIF Norway
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Enhancing the data publishing capacity of GBIF Philippines with the help of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and the Belgian Biodiversity Platform
The projects leverage an additional €92,250 in co-funding from GBIF nodes and agencies. The fund will also support the next meeting of GBIF Asian nodes in the Philippines in July.
BIFA will also be used to support the next meeting of GBIF Asian nodes in the Philippines in July. The fund is the outcome of a supplementary contribution of €156,000 from the government of Japan intended to support GBIF network activities in Asia.
