The freshwater bioinformatics landscape in Africa is diverse. Some countries and organizations are focusing on building systems around international data repositories like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), while others are using national systems or developing their own customized system. The availability of existing freshwater biodiversity data also varies, with some countries sitting on rich historical datasets and others just getting started. End-user types (decision makers, managers, researchers, etc.) may be similar among countries, but there are variations in country-specific requirements.

Some JRS grantees are further along in the journey in terms of information system development, mobilizing biodiversity data, creating partnerships to ensure sustainability, and developing tools for reporting on biodiversity data. Regardless, engaging with key end-users from the start of information system development, including understanding their reporting requirements, is a key ingredient for successful information system development and uptake by managers and decision-makers. Since opportunities for knowledge exchange, partnerships, and training among related projects would benefit all involved, the Freshwater Research Centre will host a 3-day workshop to enable JRS freshwater grantees and leaders of similar efforts to share experiences and facilitate future sharing and collaboration. This Workshop for African Freshwater Information System Projects will be held in Cape Town, South Africa and include participants from JRS-funded projects, private sector partners, and experts from South Africa, Europe and Australia. Participating organizations include:

• Freshwater Research Centre (FRC)
• Kartoza Open Source Geospatial Solutions
• South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)
• South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON)
• South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB)
• Association for Water and Rural Development (AWARD)
• Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management (CoEB), University of Rwanda
• Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS)
• National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI)
• NugSoft
• National Museums of Kenya (NMK)
• Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT)
• Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA)
• Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR)
• Aquahub and the Freshwater Information Platform (Austria)
• Atlas of Living Australia

The aim of this workshop is for participants to share knowledge, expertise, and lessons learned from existing information systems and the projects associated with them. Freshwater biodiversity projects will be shared through presentations and discussions, and existing platforms will be demonstrated for participants, with a focus upon data challenges, technical design, stakeholder engagement, and uptake to decision-making and policy. The workshop program includes ample opportunities for participants to discuss, share, network, and ultimately establish an African bioinformatics forum to promote continued knowledge-sharing and collaboration.

1. Proceedings and presentations.
2. Refined technical plans at a project level and a concept for follow-on activities.
3. Travel and accommodation for approximately 30 participants.
4. Publications and outreach.
5. An emergent forum for freshwater bioinformatics development in Africa.

Presentations, discussions, and networking opportunities will encourage collaboration and participants will learn how to overcome challenges, build end-user requirements into system design, ensure interoperability between information systems and data repositories, improve stakeholder engagement and sustainability, and ensure their systems influence decision-making and policy at a meaningful level. While the near-term outcomes of this workshop are improved technical roadmaps, it will also foster synergies among the different projects and connect a thriving community of African freshwater bioinformatics experts over the long-term.

Dr. Helen Dallas is the Executive Director of the Freshwater Research Centre in Cape Town, South Africa. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town and is a Research Associate of the University of Cape Town and Nelson Mandela University. As a founding Director of the Freshwater Research Centre, Dallas has been instrumental in growing the non-profit, which undertakes collaborative research in the region by linking with universities, NGOs, government organizations and consulting firms, to advance the understanding of freshwater systems while developing capacity through internship and post-graduate programs. Helen has over 30 years’ experience working on and leading collaborative research projects on the ecology, conservation and management of freshwater ecosystems in southern Africa.  She has been instrumental in the development of aquatic biomonitoring protocols in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland, Tanzania and Zambia. Her interest in the physico-chemical aspects of aquatic ecosystems directed her research into understanding biotic responses and vulnerability of aquatic organisms and ecosystems to global climate change. She is enthusiastic about the value of long-term data sets for freshwater ecosystems and has been involved in the development of a number of databases serving freshwater data.

JRS is grateful to the FRC for hosting this first technical meeting of all JRS Biodiversity Funded projects related to freshwater biodiversity information systems.  From our vantage point, we can see common challenges and opportunities that face these projects, but we are distant from the implementation.  Our vision has been that we achieve ‘critical concentrations’ of informatics projects within a limited set of countries to stimulate national biodiversity information systems.  And regionally, we aim to build a critical concentration of similar projects to enable the exchange of knowledge and technology that we hope will occur at this conference.