This project aims to enhance data publication and bioinformatics in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The primary objective is to digitize and publish 300,000 records from the National Herbarium of Uzbekistan (TASH), as part of an ambitious digitization program.
The project team will provide capacity-building workshops on digitization techniques, data publication, and data cleaning while co-creating Russian language resources. An integral part of this project is setting up an Uzbek IPT for local data publication, aimed at strengthening the Uzbek GBIF node infrastructure.
Driving knowledge-sharing between Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, this project is expected to significantly boost the number of published biodiversity records from Central Asia, showcasing the importance of open science and paving the way for future data publication endeavors.
During this project, Tajik project partners will translate all materials relevant for data publication to Tajik for local specialists and to Russian for others Central Asia countries.
Project progress
This was such a project implemented for the first time in Uzbekistan, and it aimed to improve bioinformatics and data publication in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
As an integral part of this project the Uzbekistan IPT was established on 29 September 2023, to publish local information aimed at strengthening the infrastructure of GBIF nodes in Uzbekistan and at final reporting the project team had, as part of the large digitization program, digitized and published on GBIF 17,735 records from a number of different institutions.
On 22–24 April 2024, the project held its capacity-building workshop on digitization techniques, data publishing, and data cleaning, co-creating Russian language resources, a language understandable for all participants. Workshop participation was engaging, and of particular significance was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Uzbekistan becoming a Voting Participant in GBIF (see announcement).
Additionally, both during the workshop and framework of the project, ties between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have also been strengthened and the networking opportunities have allowed the project team to formulate plans to lead the GBIF data publication movement throughout central Asia, incorporating neighbouring countries in the future.
Post project, activities envisaged by the project include, continuing to publish and mobilize more data to GBIF to increase the volume, and continuing to encourage engagement in GBIF data mobilization and participation in the region.
