Building: Grand Hotel Mediterraneo
Room: Sala dei Continenti
Date: 2013-10-30 05:40 PM – 05:55 PM
Last modified: 2013-10-20
Abstract
In 2010, ICSU (International Council of Science Unions) funded the South African National Research Foundation (NRF) to create a prototype component of the ICSU World Data System (ICSU-WDS - http://icsu-wds.org/) to test the viability of a federated, meta-data driven access point for biodiversity data in Africa.
The ICSU World Data System is distinguished by the fact that the data centers and networks that form its membership provide access to peer-reviewed and quality assured scientific data. ICSU-WDS has developed criteria for membership that address governance, technical facilities, standardization, curation and preservation measures, and sustainability. SAEON recently concluded a workshop where the implications of these criteria for a distributed, networked data centre operating in Africa were further developed.
The technical infrastructure (prototype) is ready for utilization – and can form an important backbone and enabler for the establishment of an African Biodiversity Observation Network that is aligned with GEOSS (Group on Earth Observation System of Systems), ILTER (International Long-Term Ecological Research Network), GEO BON, and with the ICSU World Data System.
The paper discusses the open, standards-based architecture provided by the prototype, and explains how service-driven components can be utilized and embedded into projects, data centers, and communities of practice to build the network. We discuss the steps that SAEON are taking to create a start-up platform for GEO BON, and the extent to which this initiative can be re-used for a wider purpose in Africa. Examples of working implementations are provided.
The paper concludes with a critical review of the extent to which criteria for inclusion in the ICSU World Data System can currently be achieved, and the immediate steps that can be taken to address shortcomings.