Orbis

The Challenge: Before ORBIS, critical data (from wildlife surveys to vegetation inventories) was often stored on personal computers, scattered across different institutions, or even lost over time. This hindered policymakers and natural resource managers from making informed, evidence-based decisions.

The Solution: Following a successful planning grant, the ORBIS team established a clear path forward, built on three core pillars:

1. Capacity Building: Prioritising technical training and support in biodiversity informatics for local stakeholders and government departments.
2. National e-Infrastructure: Developing a sustainable, three-tiered data repository to securely store and manage structured and non-structured data.
3. Web-Based Tools: Creating user-friendly online tools for data dissemination, exploration, and analysis, ensuring decision-makers have access to timely reports and visualisations.

The project progressed through extensive stakeholder consultations and a technical workshop with over 30 participants from government, academia, and NGOs. As a result, Kartoza (Pty) Ltd. and the Freshwater Research Centre (FRC) were engaged as key technical partners to leverage platforms like the Biodiversity Information Management System (BIMS). This partnership is focused on deploying and maintaining the robust digital infrastructure that will secure Botswana’s biodiversity legacy for decades to come, ensuring the repository is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR).

By establishing a central, authoritative source of information, the ORBIS project is set to provide the necessary groundwork to link raw biodiversity data directly to national conservation policy, strengthening Botswana’s commitment to sustainable development and environmental stewardship.