Brazil, home to the greatest biodiversity on the planet, has officially joined the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) through the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI). Founded in 2001, with headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark, the organization is considered the largest global initiative of its kind, providing free access to data over the Internet.

The formal step to become a member of the organization was taken by Marco Antonio Raupp, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, in signing the GBIF Memorandum of Understanding. This initiative places the country in a global community that shares tools, skills and experience related to the management of biological information resources.

According to Joanne Daly, Chair of the GBIF Governing Board, "the membership is very exciting and all participants in the GBIF will share this sentiment. Many countries see Brazil's participation in the GBIF as a vital contribution to global conservation and biodiversity management".

"Not only because Brazil is one of the most biodiverse countries, but also because its scientists are among the most active professionals in the biodiversity and make an extraordinary global contribution," said Joanne.

To Carlos Nobre, MCTI Secretary of Research and Development Policies and Programs, the decision is a mark of the importance of knowledge in the management of the country's vast natural resources. "In the same year as Rio +20, Brazil is taking on a strong commitment to direct our policies, more than ever, toward sustainable development." The MCTI secretary said it is essential "to know in order to protect, to know in order to use sustainably."

Biodiversity

Brazil holds around 15% of the planet's biodiversity in six biomes (Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, Pampa, Atlantic, and Pantanal) and in coastal and ocean systems.

Even before joining GBIF, more than 1.6 million records relating to national biodiversity were accessible through the GBIF data portal, from more than 700 data sets maintained in 28 countries.

Joining the initiative expands the potential for publication through GBIF of a range of digital records, from Brazilian research institutions, museums, herbaria and observation networks, that document the exceptional variety of plants, animals and other organisms in the country.

The goal of the country is to share experiences and establish an interface with the Information System for Brazilian Biodiversity and Ecosystems (SIB-Br), an MCTI project in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), involving an investment of US$ 28 million.

Government Initiative

The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) was established by governments in 2001 to encourage free and open access to biodiversity data over the Internet. Through a global network of 58 countries and 46 organizations, GBIF promotes and facilitates the mobilization, access, discovery and use of information on the status of organisms over time and across the planet. Currently, more than 388 million records, from over 10,000 datasets from 422 institutions, are published by the GBIF network.

Source:

Ministry of Science and Technology

02 November 2012