To enable automatic and instant biodiversity impact assessment enquiry, the BiA tool has been developed to facilitate enquiry services for land planners and other interested parties via Azure platform. The BiA tool works by overlaying the enquiry site or region (or existing construction projects) with multiple geographic layers including species distribution and protected area range to investigate if the site or region is within certain distance (e.g., 3 km, 5 km) from and may cause impact on endangered species habitat and/or protected areas. The assessment reports illustrate ecological and environmental risks of construction projects for decision-makers and could hopefully promotes them to take biodiversity into consideration.
A brief timeline of the BiA tool:
Apr-Jun 2020: team formation, requirement communication, system development plan
Jul-Sept 2020: tool development
Oct 2020: trial test, application and dissemination
(in preparation) Apr-Sept 2022: system upgrade
Years of data collection accumulation and constant thinking of data application approaches.
Theoretical & technical basis accumulated from long-term research and conservation practice.
Promotion of the BiA tool to its potential users, like governments, investors, and enterprise.
Keeping track of tool operation and user feedback to devise further upgrade of the tool.
Data application is the foremost step in the whole data workflow, where the data turns into valuable information for stakeholders. Effective data application reports should bear the audience in mind (e.g., being concise and focused).
The complete of development and releasing is not the last step for a tool. Finding potential users and persuading them to use the tool is also very important. A tool has to be used to provide the most value.
Coordination Platform for Sustainable Pasture Management
A Pasture Coordination Platform was organized in Armenia as a horizontal management network among relevant stakeholders on national and sub-national level. Each party is represented by a spokesperson, who coordinates the functions of the party within the Platform and ensures information flow. A secretariat ensures the operation of the Platform. The rationale for creation of the Platform was the need to promote effective cooperation, exchange of information, as well as coordination of activities among the projects implemented in Armenia, focusing on sustainable management of natural fodder areas.
Since 2018 the Platform has evolved and now more than 10 organizations, institutions, projects and public administration bodies are involved in the Platform’s activities, aiming to ensure viability of programs and investments in the area of animal farming, increase economic opportunities of communities and support income growth of rural residents in Armenia. Key objectives of the Coordination Platform are:
Coordination, exchange of information exchange and experience, identification of potential cooperation areas
Implementation of joint projects, activities
Advocating and supporting development of relevant state policy and legislation promoting sustainable use and management of natural fodder areas
The platform has a clear aim: "to improve the situation/ livelihood of the rural population which depends on natural fodder areas while sustainably using and conserving these natural ecosystems”.
The need for coordination, cooperation and exchange was felt by parties both from government as well as non-government organizations.
A memorandum was officially signed to establish the platform.
All members have clearly distinguished functions.
Active participation of the community stakeholders in decision making and coordination of the local projects was crucial. Placing the local working groups in charge of the local implementation not only generated a high level of ownership of the project and ensured the engagement of the community.
The coordination with other development organizations on the local scale was a key factor. The harmonization of these different local interventions resulted in a comprehensive, positive change for the communities. Each intervention was complimented by the others and would not have achieved the same results as an isolated activity.
Based on the memorandum of understanding, the common interest and need of all stakeholders in the platform to cooperate increased their commitment and ensured the continuity of the process.
Multi stakeholder advisory bodies face high risks from unforeseen changes in governmental institutions or even within their own parties. The meticulous documentation of agreements and activities has proven to be an important measure for dealing with this risk.
Maintaining pastures as a natural resource is easily to been done by the application of GIS and remote sensing tools to develop accurate classification maps, e.g. pastures, hay meadows, grassland. The combination of digital data and spatial technology enables detailed and useful monitoring of aboveground green vegetation biomass and grassland composition. Besides, resources and attributes can be monitored for knowledge management and long-term decision planning.
Mapping of pasture/ grassland ecosystem services and understanding of its contribution to human well-being
Facilitate regular monitoring at the management level
Short-term study of the positive and negative effects on pasture or grassland areas
Existence of relevant legal bases and close involvement of relevant bodies in the planning process
All factors that may affect pastures should be identified as spatial data
Mapping and monitoring changes in grassland vegetation cover is essential to understand grasslands dynamics
Reliable monitoring of changes in vegetation cover in grasslands is crucial for accurate and sustainable land management
Gathering more field/ ground truthing data was one of the important notes
It is vital to test and demonstrate different geospatial analyses to showcase what measures have the most impact on which erosion/degredadion situations and foster understanding for the solutions.
Workflow analysis, Partnership building, and Overall planning
Camera trap data management system
Citizen science data visualization platform
Biodiversity Impact Assessment Tool (BiA)
Creating Awareness about Marine Conservation in Palk Bay (2007 - 2022)
students visited our centre for field marine education
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A student observes plankton from Palk Bay to understand how food chain starts in marine environment
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Field lectures are more powerful way of communicating the nature conservation among children
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Students curiously discuss about marine a animals from local sea at our museum
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Underwater images and videos of local coast shown to children to let them understand the beauty and importance of the coast
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Scuba demo helps to explain how our team do seagrass survey and restoration, which is one of the favourite sessions for the students
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In 2007, a 600 km solo sea kayak was carried out along the coast of Tamil Nadu (southeast coast of India) for creating awareness about the conservation of local marine ecosystems including dugongs, seagrasses, coral reefs, and mangroves. In the following years, about 40000 people including school students, university students, fisherfolks, and government officials have attended our marine conservation awareness events in the last 15 years through folk music, school level awareness education programs, competitions, seminars, training, field trips, and distribution of awareness materials. This continuous awareness at the local and sub-national level has built rapport with the stakeholders for the rescue and release of dugongs, and mapping and restoration of seagrass beds.
Capacity building of staff and volunteers from the local community.
We produced a large set of underwater photos and videos of seagrass habitats and dugongs from the local coast.
We set up our marine education center called “Palk Bay Environmental Education Centre” in 2011.
We distributed more than 25000 awareness materials to the stakeholders in the last 15 years.
We organized (seminars/training/camps/field trips) on nonprofit basis for school students, university students, fisherfolks as well as government officials.
Continuous efforts for a few years in nature conservation awareness can change the mindset and support from local stakeholders.
Producing our photos, and videos and sharing our field experience in dugong rescue, release, and seagrass restoration are important tools.
The capacity building of staff and volunteers from the local community helped to spread awareness for more than a decade continuously.
Setting up our marine education campus close to the target area (seagrass beach) is a major advantage, which gives direct exposure to the visitors.
