Building Capacity for Plant Biodiversity Inventory and Conservation in Nepal RONAST

Flora of Nepal spp. Enumeration completed Collaborative project to write Flora with centres in: –Edinburgh –Kathmandu –Tokyo –London (Natural History Museum). Estimated timescale 15 years.

Project aims Strengthen capacity for taxonomy (especially staff and collections at DPR and TU). Train 18 Nepalese scientists in data recording, plant collection, and conservation status assessment.

RONAST - Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology

DPR - Department of Plant Resources

TU - Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University

Project activities 3 training workshops. 1 field trip (3 in total). Preparation of Flora account 1 visit to UK

16 Darwin Scholars Institutional nominations –2 RONAST –4 DPR –4 TU Open competition –2 Freelance –2 TU –1 Natural History Museum –1 DPR

Challenges Relationship among partner institutions has not been close historically. Communication – broadband internet links poor. Resources – herbarium needs much curation, library poor, infrastructure poor, bad microscopes. Access to herbarium problematic to non DPR staff. Cultural problems – books and equipment may be kept in director’s office as status symbol. Access to computers limited. No funds to pay for shipping loans. No money for staff to visit foreign herbaria. Need to maintain progress and momentum. Poor career opportunities for junior botanists. Complex bureaucracy slows implementation.

Lessons Clarity is required during initial meetings Relationships take a long time to develop – there is no substitute for face to face meetings. High level access to government via RONAST creates high profile project. NGOs assist in raising profile of project. Nomination / selection procedure. Task-orientated learning. 1 to 1 training. British Embassy and British Council. Institutions are not monolithic. Be sensitive to financial limitations of participants. Good to have dedicated fund-raising department in UK. Buy your own data projector.

Taxonomy and monitoring of species: building capacity to support CBD information needs 1.What are some of the needs of host countries in terms of taxonomy and monitoring of species. Where are the biggest gaps? 2.Could these needs be better identified? GTI needs assessments? 3.What are the strengths and opportunities in Darwin Initiative in supporting taxonomic capacity in developing countries? 4.What are the barriers and obstacles to the Darwin Initiative in the above? 5.Could Darwin Initiative collaborative more closely with existing global and regional taxonomy and information initiatives e.g. GBIF; to deliver more benefits? 6.What aspects of biodiversity policy are key to support the development of taxonomic studies and monitoring of species in host countries?