Newsflash 72

1 | Preparatory workshop on IPBES Assessment review 2 | BiodivERsA Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) 3 | GBIF : Call for nominations open for 2017 Young Researchers Awards 4 | First EKLIPSE knowledge synthesis report (Nature-based Solutions) 5 | Brochure on the 2015-2016 BiodivERsA projects 6 | 3 questions to Dr. Quentin Groom, from the TrIAS Project 7 | Publication of the report of the European One Health / Eco Health Workshop 8 | Colloquium : "Who does what for bees ?" 9 | Save the Date : BEES Xmas Market on 12 December 2017

 

Biodiversity Newsflash 72

May 2017


CONTENTS
1 | Preparatory workshop on IPBES Assessment review
2 | BiodivERsA Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA)
3 | GBIF : Call for nominations opens for 2017 Young Researchers Awards
4 | First EKLIPSE knowledge synthesis report (Nature-based Solutions)
5 | Brochure on the 2015-2016 BiodivERsA projects
6 | 3 questions to Dr. Quentin Groom, from the TrIAS Project
7 | Publication of the report of the European One Health / Eco Health Workshop
8 | Colloquium : "Who does what for bees ?" on 15 May 2017
9 | Save the Date : BEES Xmas Market on 12 December 2017

1 | Preparatory workshop on IPBES Assessment review
On 24th May 2017, the IPBES Belgian Focal Point will organise a preparatory participatory workshop on IPBES Assessment external review at the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO) in Brussels. The main goal is to collect proper feedback from selected experts on the technical reports/individual chapters (morning session), and from policymakers on the Summary for Policymakers (afternoon session) on:
  • Four regional assessments of biodiversity and ecosystem services, especially the one for (for Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific and Europe and Central Asia,) and
  • The thematic assessment on land degradation and restoration.
The official review period for the afore-mentioned assessments will run from 1 May until 26 June 2017. Find out more here.

If you are interested to participate in this participatory workshop, please register online with possibility to register for the morning/afternoon/both sessions.
 
2 | BiodivERsA Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA)
The BiodivERsA network is pleased to present its first Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda covering the 2017-2020 period!

The BiodivERsA Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) sets out the strategic vision for the network over the 2017-2020 period, including broad research themes of biodiversity, ecosystem services and Nature-based Solutions to be addressed by the network over the coming years.

It has been prepared by the network’s coordination team and all BiodivERsA partners, with inputs from the BiodivERsA Advisory Board. An open consultation was then organised calling for a review of the agenda by key academic and non-academic organisations in the field of biodiversity, ecosystem services and Nature-based Solutions research.

More information is available here, or contact Hilde Eggermont
 
3 | GBIF : Call for nominations opens for 2017 Young Researchers Awards
GBIF is inviting nominations for the 2017 Young Researchers Awards, with the focus on publication of datasets that give rich information on species observed or collected in particular sampling events.

The GBIF Young Researchers Awards is an annual programme aimed at fostering innovative research and discovery in biodiversity informatics. Working closely with GBIF national Participants, the 2017 awards will provide €5,000 prizes recognizing the work of two graduate students—one a master’s candidate and one a PhD candidate—nominated by GBIF Participant countries.

The deadline for submissions for the award is 30 June 2017 for Belgian Young Scientists. Applications should be sent to Aline van der Werf, Manager of the Belgian Biodiversity Platform and Programme Manager at the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO).

More information here.
 
4 | First EKLIPSE knowledge synthesis report (Nature-based Solutions)
EKLIPSE has just published the report from its first request from policy makers for synthesizing available knowledge. The resulting report Nature-based solutions to promote climate resilience in urban areas – developing an impact evaluation framework is now available online.

This report is the outcome of a request from the European Commission DG Research and Innovation to develop an assessment framework to evaluate the multiple benefits, disservices, trade-offs and synergies of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS). The main purpose of the request is to apply this framework to H2020-funded NBS demonstration projects for increasing urban resilience to climate change.

To answer this request, EKLIPSE sent out a Call for Expertise and selected 15 experts from 117 applications in July 2016.These experts covered a broad range of expertise (natural and social sciences, practitioners, planners and architects) and geographical representation to form the EKLIPSE Expert Working Group on Nature‐based Solutions to Promote Climate Resilience in Urban Areas.
 
5 | Brochure on the 2015-2016 BiodivERsA projects
Discover the new 2015-2016 Call brochure analysing the results of the BiodivERsA COFUND Call on “Understanding and managing biodiversity dynamics to improve ecosystem functioning and delivery of ecosystem services in a global change context: the cases of soils and sediments, and land- river and sea-scapes (habitat connectivity, green and blue infrastructures, and naturing cities)". The 2015-2016 Call Brochure provides information on the call process (from the development of the call to the evaluation and selection of the top proposals). It also highlights the profile of both submitted and selected proposals and offers a description of the 26 projects that were selected for funding for a total amount of over 33 million euro.

More information on the 2015-2016 Call is available here, or contact Hilde Eggermont
 
6 | 3 questions to Dr. Quentin Groom, from the TrIAS Project


Could you please describe the TrIAS project?

There are three big problems with the current flow from biodiversity data to policy use. The processes are slow, the data are scattered and the methods are not easily repeatable. This is particularly true for invasive species, where efficient policy rely on up to date and accurate data. TrIAS is a Belgian project that aims to resolve these problems by creating repeatable work-flows from the sources of biodiversity data, all the way to risk assessment and prediction of future scenarios.

How could the Belgian Biodiversity Platform help you with such a project?
The Belgian Biodiversity Platform will help us mobilize alien species data through publication in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. These data will come from Citizen Scientists through Natagora and Natuurpunt, but also from other datasets held at Belgian institutions. TrIAS is not restricted to any particular type of organism or habitat, so all observations and checklists of alien species are interesting to us. During the last years, the Belgian Biodiversity Platform has developed expertise on risk assessment of alien species and will lead a work package in TrIAS to assess the risk associated to emergent alien species. The platform will also help us promote the project, communicate it to stakeholders and encourage contributions through the Belgian Forum on Invasive Species.

What are your plans for the future of the TrIAS project?
TrIAS is an Open Science project. That means that all of it products, including data, assessments, publications and models will be freely available for anyone to use worldwide. TrIAS has four years funding, but by making the whole work-flow open it can be adapted, improved and repeated, as a whole or in part, by anyone who wants to. The need for rapid, integrated advice on invasive species is not just needed over the next four years, but it will be needed in the future and in other countries. If TrIAS is successful, its products will continue to be used, but we also hope that we can prove the value of open data and work-flows for all types of biodiversity assessments.

 
7 | Publication of the report of the European One Health / Eco Health Workshop

The report of the European One Health / Eco Health Workshop that took place on 6th and 7th October 2016 in Brussels has just been released.

The workshop was organised by the Belgian Community of Practice Biodiversity & Health, which is facilitated by the Belgian Biodiversity Platform.

The report provides an overview of the observations, conclusions and recommendations from the workshop in relation to a diversity of topics, including:

  • Vectors and vector borne diseases
  • Zoonotic diseases
  • Cross-pollinating agro-eco-human health perspectives to reduce antimicrobial resistance threats
  • Environmental and internal microbiome
  • Nature health benefits
  • Evaluation and challenges/limitations of One Health
  • Social science, transdisciplinarity and traditional knowledge systems
  • OneHealth/EcoHealth in the Global South: interdisciplinarity capacity building in research and educational challenges

The report also provides insights on challenges and ways forward with regard to:

  • Data integration
  • Interdisciplinary and cross-sectorial collaboration
  • Developing soft skills
  • Recognition of One Health actions and research
  • How can interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary research get published .

Access the report online as 1-page view or 2-page view.

 
UPCOMING EVENTS

8 | Colloquium : "Who does what for bees ?" on 15 May 2017

Who does what for bees?
15 May 2017, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences





Field organizations, scientific teams, public authorities, companies and other stakeholders are implementing actions, projects and campaigns for the preservation of wild bees and honeybees.

Objectives
  • To promote actions, projects and campaigns for the preservation of bees
  • To share information on these initiatives and their results in order to inspire new projects and synergies
  • To stimulate collaboration by bringing together actors working for the preservation of bees
  • Identify gaps and suggest ways to address them
In order to present complete image of actions, projects and campaigns carried out for the preservation of bees, please send us information about your own actions, projects and campaigns via this page.

To participate in the symposium of 15 May 2017 at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, please register via this link.


9 | Save the Date : BEES Xmas Market on 12 December 2017


Next BEES Xmas Market will take place in Namur on 12th December 2017.

BEES (BElgium Ecosystem Services) organises an annual event : the BEES Xmas Market.

The BEES Xmas market brings together people from academia, public administration and civil society, from Belgium and abroad, with one common interest: ecosystem services. The BEES market is the perfect spot to exchange ideas, learn from other experiences and discover how ecosystem services are transformed into real products or daily life applications.

The concept? A cozy afternoon in a friendly Xmas market-like atmosphere: the perfect event to wrap up the year in a useful and fun way! You can choose to have a stand, give a training session or just to enjoy the market.

Have a look at the video of :
And pictures of last year's 2016 edition.

© 2017 Belgian Biodiversity Platform, All rights reserved.
‘Biodiversity Newsflash’ is published by the Belgian Biodiversity Platform, an initiative by the
Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO)
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