Global Biodiversity Information Outlook

Global Biodiversity Information Outlook
Name	Global Biodiversity Information Outlook
Abbreviation	GBIO
Established	2016
Scope	Biodiversity data assessment
Publisher	Consortium of biodiversity organizations

Global Biodiversity Information Outlook is an international assessment report synthesizing trends in biodiversity data mobilization and access, aiming to inform policy and research priorities. The report integrates contributions from major institutions and initiatives to evaluate progress toward global targets and recommend strategies for data sharing and capacity building. It serves as a reference for stakeholders engaged with biodiversity monitoring, conservation planning, and international environmental policy.

Overview

The Outlook synthesizes inputs from organizations such as Convention on Biological Diversity, United Nations Environment Programme, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, and Global Biodiversity Information Facility while drawing on contributions from institutions including Natural History Museum, London, Smithsonian Institution, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Botanical Survey of India, and Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. It evaluates datasets hosted by platforms like GBIF, iNaturalist, Atlas of Living Australia, VertNet, and Biodiversity Heritage Library and references standards from Darwin Core, Access to Biological Collections Data, Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG), and FAIR data principles. Stakeholders such as International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Wide Fund for Nature, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and regional entities like European Commission inform the report’s priorities for targets under agreements like the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

History and Development

Origins trace to collaborations among actors including GBIF Secretariat, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, World Bank, Global Environment Facility, and academic centers such as University of Oxford, Harvard University, Yale University, University of São Paulo, and Australian National University. Early antecedents include projects supported by Global Taxonomy Initiative, initiatives at Royal Society, and assessments linked to meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Editorial and technical development involved experts from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Natural History Museum, London, Smithsonian Institution, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), and South African National Biodiversity Institute. Funding and policy alignment engaged actors like Global Environment Facility, European Commission Horizon 2020, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and national agencies such as National Science Foundation and UK Research and Innovation.

Data Sources and Methodologies

The Outlook synthesizes occurrence records, checklists, sequence data, and digitized collections from repositories including GenBank, European Nucleotide Archive, Dryad, PANGAEA, and DataONE, alongside specimen data from Natural History Museum, London, Smithsonian Institution, American Museum of Natural History, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, and Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales. Methodologies reference standards and protocols from Darwin Core, Ecological Metadata Language, ISO 19115, and FAIR data principles while applying analytical techniques common to centers such as Max Planck Society, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, CSIRO, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Geospatial analyses draw on datasets and tools from European Space Agency, NASA, Copernicus Programme, and mapping platforms used by Esri and Google Earth Engine. Taxonomic reconciliation leverages resources like Catalogue of Life, World Register of Marine Species, International Plant Names Index, and specialist collections at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Natural History Museum, London.

Global Initiatives and Partnerships

The Outlook highlights partnerships among multilateral organizations and programs including Convention on Biological Diversity, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Atlas of Living Australia, and regional networks like AfriGEOSS and LACBio. Collaborations with conservation NGOs such as World Wide Fund for Nature, The Nature Conservancy, BirdLife International, Conservation International, and Wildlife Conservation Society are emphasized, alongside academic consortia from University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Harvard University, Stanford University, and University of Cape Town. Funding and technical support from Global Environment Facility, European Commission, GIZ, USAID, and philanthropic entities like John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation underpin capacity building and data mobilization work.

Impact on Conservation Policy and Research

The report informs policy dialogues at venues such as the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, United Nations General Assembly, United Nations Environment Assembly, and regional forums including the African Union and European Parliament. It has been used by implementers including IUCN Red List, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, World Heritage Committee, and national agencies like United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Environment and Climate Change Canada to prioritize data gaps, guide monitoring strategies, and support assessments by institutions such as IUCN Species Survival Commission and research programs at Smithsonian Institution and Natural History Museum, London. The Outlook’s influence extends to applied projects in landscape-scale planning led by African Wildlife Foundation, Conservation International, and urban biodiversity initiatives by ICLEI.

Challenges and Future Directions

Persistent challenges identified include digitization backlogs in collections held by institutions such as Natural History Museum, London, Smithsonian Institution, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, and regional museums; uneven capacity across countries represented by Brazilian Biodiversity Information System (SiBBr), China National GeneBank, and South African National Biodiversity Institute; and legal complexities involving instruments like the Nagoya Protocol and Convention on Biological Diversity. Future directions emphasize strengthening interoperability with standards bodies such as Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG), expanding open-data platforms like GBIF and iNaturalist, integrating genomic resources from GenBank and European Nucleotide Archive, and leveraging earth observation from Copernicus Programme and NASA to inform conservation targets under the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Cross-sector partnerships with funders such as Global Environment Facility and research networks at Max Planck Society, CSIC, and CSIRO are proposed to address capacity, equity, and sustainability in biodiversity data infrastructure.

Category:Biodiversity