Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) boasts rich and unique biodiversity and landscapes, but despite this ecological wealth, data from the region is underrepresented in GBIF due to lack of awareness and publishing skills. This gap has negative effects on conservation efforts, international collaboration opportunities and restricts support for sustainable development initiatives.
Over the past two years, data publication workshops have been held in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to upskill local biodiversity data professionals in making biodiversity data openly accessible via GBIF. Building off this momentum, the current project aims to expand data mobilization capacity across the whole Central Asia region by hosting a biodiversity data conference and workshop. The events aim to foster regional collaboration to promote FAIR data principles, particularly across Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan where exposure to GBIF has so far been limited.
