AfriBes-Towards a social network of scientific and technical information for Africa
Maxime Thibon
Abstract
AfriBes
Cross-cutting Intelligence on
Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services in Africa
Towards a social network of scientific and technical information for Africa
In 2005, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) was the first global assessment tasked with measuring ecosystem services for human well-being worldwide. One project was the Southern Africa Sub-Global assessment (SAfMA), using a multi-scale approach to assess ecosystem services across three different spatial scales.
In 2006, an international consultation was launched to assess the need, scope and options for an International Mechanism of Scientific Expertise on Biodiversity (IMoSEB). The African consultation provided a set of needs and recommendations for how knowledge could be better harnessed to meet needs of African Biodiversity stakeholders:
- Develop a spirit of information sharing
- Consider a wiki type system
- Create synergy between possessors of traditional knowledge and scientists
- Promote South–South cooperation..
After completion of IMoSEB consultation and the MA Follow-up, UNEP (United nations Environment Program) took the lead to set-up an Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The preliminary Gap Analysis underlined the issue of information services and coordination for sharing knowledge and experience as ones of its preliminary findings.
An African social network could be seen as one of the means to create and strengthen social ties among African communities, researchers, and policymakers, and contribute to IPBES efforts. Such a social network could also bring real added-value to existing information and expertise, while fostering their dissemination and use in decision-making processes for sustainable development.
This social network on biodiversity and ecosystem, based on Web 2.0 technologies, and characterized by user participation, openness, interconnectivity and interactivity of web-delivered content will allow envisaging:
- Building up African collective and distributed intelligence
- Using peer-to peer networking
- Fostering dialogue
- Emancipating people and communities
- Creating a forum between information suppliers and producers
- Establishing an E-learning capacity building centre
Cross-cutting Intelligence on
Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services in Africa
Towards a social network of scientific and technical information for Africa
In 2005, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) was the first global assessment tasked with measuring ecosystem services for human well-being worldwide. One project was the Southern Africa Sub-Global assessment (SAfMA), using a multi-scale approach to assess ecosystem services across three different spatial scales.
In 2006, an international consultation was launched to assess the need, scope and options for an International Mechanism of Scientific Expertise on Biodiversity (IMoSEB). The African consultation provided a set of needs and recommendations for how knowledge could be better harnessed to meet needs of African Biodiversity stakeholders:
- Develop a spirit of information sharing
- Consider a wiki type system
- Create synergy between possessors of traditional knowledge and scientists
- Promote South–South cooperation..
After completion of IMoSEB consultation and the MA Follow-up, UNEP (United nations Environment Program) took the lead to set-up an Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The preliminary Gap Analysis underlined the issue of information services and coordination for sharing knowledge and experience as ones of its preliminary findings.
An African social network could be seen as one of the means to create and strengthen social ties among African communities, researchers, and policymakers, and contribute to IPBES efforts. Such a social network could also bring real added-value to existing information and expertise, while fostering their dissemination and use in decision-making processes for sustainable development.
This social network on biodiversity and ecosystem, based on Web 2.0 technologies, and characterized by user participation, openness, interconnectivity and interactivity of web-delivered content will allow envisaging:
- Building up African collective and distributed intelligence
- Using peer-to peer networking
- Fostering dialogue
- Emancipating people and communities
- Creating a forum between information suppliers and producers
- Establishing an E-learning capacity building centre