NBII
Access Newsletter
Newsletter of the National Biological Information Infrastructure
Fall 2002
(Volume 5, Number 4)
A year of consultation to define
the content and architecture of the Inter-American Biodiversity Information
Network (IABIN) kicked off in late summer with the receipt of the first portion
of a $650K grant to IABIN from the Global Environment Fund (GEF). A group of
specialists has been retained by the Organization of American States, the executing
agency for the GEF grant, to analyze the biodiversity information requirements
and resources in their respective subregions (see map).
Alberto Oriza-Barrios, of Cancun, Mexico, has been retained as the project’s
Regional Coordinator. In that role, Mr. Oriza will lead the efforts of the subregional
specialists and, based on their assessments, propose a network architecture
to achieve interoperability among the subregions and with other relevant initiatives
and organizations. The resulting five-year implementation plan for IABIN will
include priorities for the incorporation of content into the network, steps
for capacity building and continuing education for biodiversity information
providers and users, and estimated costs for the activities proposed.
A Web site for the project, established at <http://www.iabin.cun.net>,
includes contact information for the subregional specialists and other information
about the effort. A calendar lists workshops convened in the subregions in order
to increase interaction among participants and initiate partnerships among biodiversity
information providers and users in the region.
Joint Meeting Planned
At the conclusion of the GEF project, the IABIN Council will convene to review
the results and to move ahead with a proposal to GEF for a full-scale project,
on the order of $4-5 million for the implementation of IABIN as defined. Because
IABIN is working closely with the Clearing-House Mechanism (CHM) of the Convention
on Biological Diversity, the CHM has invited IABIN to hold its Council Meeting
in conjunction with the CHM’s GRULAC (Group of Latin American and Caribbean
States) Regional Meeting. To ensure harmony with other biodiversity networking
initiatives, IABIN and the CHM have also invited the Global Biodiversity Information
Facility, UNESCO, and NatureServe to participate in this joint meeting, tentatively
scheduled for early summer 2003.
IABIN seeks to promote sustainable development and biodiversity conservation
through the sharing of biodiversity information for decision-making and education
among the countries of the Americas. Additional information is available at
<http://www.iabin.net> and <http://www.iabin-us.org>.