Global Taxonomy Initiative
The Global Taxonomy Initiative and the capacity building project
Habitats worldwide are under threat by ever-increasing human activities. This pressure is especially harming developing nations where many people directly depend on products and services that healthy ecosystems provide. Combating poverty therefore requires protecting and, when necessary, restoring the healthy functioning of ecosystems. To achieve this, scientists and policy-makers rely on such basic information as taxonomic inventories that tell them what is living where. Yet, in the 21st century, the lack of taxonomic knowledge implies that getting even this baseline information remains extremely difficult.
Taxonomy is the science that identifies, describes and classifies the diversity of life. The Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI) was set up under the Convention on Biological Diversity to overcome the 'taxonomic impediment' which seriously hinders the implementation of the CBD. Its main objectives are to reduce the knowledge gaps in our taxonomic system, the shortage of trained taxonomists and curators and, thereby, to improve decision-making in conservation.
The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) has been appointed as Belgian National Focal Point to the GTI (GTI NFP). It contributes to Belgium's GTI engagements by being a centre of: (i) information, (ii) faciliation, (iii) partnering and (iv) tutoring. Even though the RBINS is the largest of Belgium's taxonomic research institutes, it can only come to terms with its obligations through cooperation with other institutes such as the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren and the National Botanic Garden in Meise, as well as with various other national and international partners.
Within the framework of a special agreement between the Directorate General for Development Cooperation, the belgian focal point to the GTI organises projects that aim to bridge the taxonomic impediment in developping countries. The project that are carried out within the framework of the DGDC-RBINS agreement always contain public awareness part and focus on educating the local people.
