Belgian Report on the Implementation of the Programme of Work for the Global Taxonomy Initiative

Operational Objective 1. Assess taxonomic needs and capacities at national, regional and global levels for the implementation of the Convention

1. Has your country undertaken any taxonomic needs assessments and identified priorities in this regard?

a) no (please specify the reasons)
b) no, but assessment is under way
c) yes, some needs assessments made (please provide details) X
b) yes, comprehensive assessments made (please provide details)

Further comments on country-based taxonomic needs assessments and identification of priorities

• Between 1998 and 2002, questionnaires were sent to Belgian and foreign experts in view of preparing the country study 'Biodiversity in Belgium' (*). There were questions on the number of species (for a given taxon) found in Belgium, the trends in species numbers, the causes for species increase or decrease, the regions with highest species richness, the existence of species lists, the status of taxonomical knowledge, the number of specialists for the given taxon in Belgium and in neighbouring countries, the existence and localisation of collections, etc. If no Belgian expert could be identified for a target group, the questionnaire was sent to experts in neighbouring countries or even to specialists worldwide. For zoological taxa, 316 questionnaires were returned, of which 194 were completed by Belgian experts and 122 by foreign specialists. A summary, per taxon, of the information gathered via these questionnaires can be found in 'Biodiversity in Belgium'. These questionnaires are not 'taxonomic needs assessments' per se, but provide information for the groups for which answers were received.
• In October and December 2001, two symposia (**) were organised, one on the Belgian flora and one on the Belgian fauna. Their objectives were to evaluate the status of knowledge, assess the needs in taxonomic research and highlight the priorities for future work.
• A short overview of Belgian taxonomic capacity has been carried out by the Belgian Biodiversity Platform (now integrated into Bio-in-Bel) for the European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy. It has been published as part of a paper called 'Supporting European taxonomy - current state and possible future actions' (EPBRS, 2003). 

(*) PEETERS, M., FRANKLIN, A. & VAN GOETHEM, J.L. (eds), 2003. Biodiversity in Belgium. Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels: 416 pp. 

(**) PEETERS, M & VAN GOETHEM, J.L. (eds), 2002. Proceedings of the Symposium 'Status and trends of the Belgian fauna with particular emphasis on alien species', Brussels, 14.12.2001. Bulletin of the RBINS, Biologie, Vol. 72 - Supplement. 297 pp. 

(**) RAPPÉ, G., BUSSCHOTS, K. & and ROBBRECHT, E. (eds), 2003. Proceedings of the Symposium 'Botanical Biodiversity and Belgium's expertise', National Botanical Garden of Belgium, Meise, 19-20.10.2001, Scripta Botanica Belgica, 24, 214 pp.

2. Has your country worked with other countries in the region to undertake regional taxonomic needs assessments and identify priorities in this regard?

a) no (please specify the reasons)
b) no, but some collaborative projects are being considered or planned
c) yes, some activities undertaken (please provide details)
d) yes, many activities undertaken (please provide details) X

Further comments on regional taxonomic needs assessment and identification of priorities

• Active contribution to the paper called 'Supporting European taxonomy - current state and possible future actions' submitted by the European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy (EPBRS) to the European Commission in December 2003. 
• Participation in the position paper 'Biodiversity and Europe: the contribution of taxonomy and the European taxonomic facilities' produced by the Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities (CETAF). For this paper, some assessment of taxonomic needs has been undertaken. 
• Needs of GTI focal points have been discussed during the meeting 'Building Capacity for the Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI) in a larger Europe', organised by Germany on 21-23 June 2004 on the isle of Vilm. The Belgian GTI focal point took part in this meeting and presented how it developed its own activities. 

For a more complete description of the projects and processes mentioned in this answer, please go to the box 'additional information' at the end of the report.

3. Is your country involved in any activities as part of a global taxonomic needs assessment?

a) no X
b) yes (please provide details)

Further comments on the involvement in the activities for the global taxonomic needs assessment

Belgium participates as an observer to the meetings of the 'GTI coordination mechanism', supervised by the Secretariat of the CBD, during which taxonomic needs at the global level are discussed. No assessment has been completed yet in this context.

4. Is your country undertaking any activities of public education and awareness to promote the implementation of the programme of work for the GTI?

a) no
b) yes, some programmes developed and some activities undertaken (please provide details)
c) yes, comprehensive programmes developed and many activities undertaken (please provide details) X

Further comments on public education and awareness programmes and activities

1. Awareness on the GTI process 

The promotion of the GTI work programme itself is mainly undertaken via the Belgian GTI focal point (Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences) and partner institutions (Royal Museum for Central Africa, National Botanic Garden of Belgium) and their capacity building activities on taxonomy. This includes making the GTI more visible both within Belgium (e.g. taxonomic research institutes, federal and regional administrations, etc.) and abroad (including Belgian development cooperation partners). 

2. Awareness on taxonomy-related issues 

Communication, education and public awareness on taxonomy in the broader sense are principally undertaken 

• by the main taxonomic facilities, through their museums and botanic gardens,
• by research institutes or universities having developed museological and educational activities, 
• by taxonomic societies and naturalist associations, which play a role in support of scientific research and public education. 

Taxonomic facilities. The two main zoological institutions (RBINS, RMCA) host permanent exhibitions, where galleries put the variety of the world's animal species and their biotopes on display. Apart from its permanent galleries, RBINS produces about two temporary exhibitions per year on themes related to the natural world. The main botanical institution (NBG) is located in one of the world's largest botanical parks. Open to the public, the park includes a 'Plant Palace' of 13 greenhouses for tropical collections. The NBG also houses several temporary exhibitions per year, covering botany, horticulture, living resources and interdisciplinary dimensions (e.g. the Arts). All three institutions have educational and awareness activities highlighting the tasks that zoological institutions and botanic gardens undertake for the study of biodiversity and for its in situ and ex situ conservation. 

Since January 2004, the RBINS organises 'Tours behind the scenes', to make the public discover the scientific activities and the collections of the Institute. Every month, a different section of the Institute is opened to the public. Visitors have the opportunity to discuss with the scientists and discover the collections. Examples of topics: the world of insects, ants and termites of tropical canopies, mosquitoes that do not bite, historical collections on the North Sea, the origin of modern mammals, birds and migration routes, colour patterns of fishes of African lakes, etc.). 

Universities and research institutes. Several universities host zoological museums (e.g. Ghent University, University of Liège, Catholic University of Leuven, Free University of Brussels ULB), while the majority of universities have herbaria and botanical/experimental gardens (e.g. Ghent University, Free University of Brussels ULB). The University of Liège maintains an aquarium that is open to the public. Even though it does not host a museum sensu stricto, Gembloux Agricultural Faculty hosts important zoological (insects) collections. Its university grounds also holds an arboretum. Most of these museums and gardens have guided tours, educational activities and/or temporary exhibits on specific issues. 

Taxonomic societies, naturalist associations. Special exhibits on plant and animal groups are carried out regularly, as for example on fungi, orchids or insects. Guided tours are often organised by different naturalist societies, e.g. bird watching, herpetofauna.

 

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