Information and networking portal
Background and goals
The need for a web-based information and networking portal on biodiversity monitoring was already formulated in the general concept for the monitoring centre. As a central element of the national monitoring centre, the portal will support the activities and goals of the monitoring centre and the biodiversity monitoring stakeholders in the future.
The information and networking portal will report on ongoing and planned monitoring programmes. The portal is intended to bring together existing biodiversity-relevant data and specialist information scattered across various institutions, as well as other platforms and web services. In order to improve the quality and availability of data, standards, definitions and interfaces must be developed further and harmonised in cooperation with those involved in monitoring. The portal will serve as a supporting instrument for this process. We also plan to make tools for survey and analysis methods available here. With the help of the information and networking portal, current data-based information on the state and development of biodiversity should be available more quickly.
All of this contributes to identifying and closing gaps in monitoring and deriving more effective measures for the protection of biodiversity.
Target group
The information and networking portal will be aimed equally at politicians and authorities, professional societies, associations and voluntary organisations, but also at planning offices, science and research, those active in citizen science projects and the interested public. For successful nationwide cooperation, it is important that the stakeholders can exchange their knowledge in the best possible way. Thus, existing synergy potentials can be used.
Key issues
Summary of key issues
The key issues for the content of the information and networking portal are:
- Information on current monitoring activities is available on the platform, as well as specialised information such as methodological standards, mapping instructions, reports and scientific publications.
- All relevant and available (meta-)data and information on nationwide biodiversity monitoring can be found and accessed via the platform.
- Biodiversity and monitoring data can be filtered and retrieved via various applications and are illustrated in the form of maps and graphics.
- Information on selected topics of biodiversity monitoring is provided in a form suitable for the target group, for example in the form of articles, videos and infographics.
- The portal serves the exchange between the different stakeholders in biodiversity monitoring.
- Needs-based tools and formats are provided to support those involved in biodiversity monitoring.
Timetable
In the first phase, we will develop the concept for the content of the information and networking portal. The requirements for the portal and use cases will be determined in 2023 through a comprehensive survey of biodiversity monitoring stakeholders on the needs and content of an information and networking portal.
In the coming phases, we plan to successively implement and expand the concept. The committees of the monitoring centre and stakeholders from various groups of actors will be closely involved in the development. It is planned to initially set up a digital basic system, which will be expanded step by step with functions and modules. Thus, the design of the portal is a gradual process. If certain needs or external factors change decisively, the portal can be adapted accordingly.