Bulgarian GBIF Node

Yordan Uzunov, Boyko B. Georgiev

Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Street, 1113 Sofia

uzunov@ecolab.bas.bg bbg@ecolab.bas.bg

GBIF European Nodes Meeting, 4-6 April 2011, Paris

Bulgarian GBIF Node

GBIF European Nodes Meeting, 4-6 April 2011, Paris

Positive developments – 1

FP7, Programme CAPACITIES, REGPOT-2008

WETLANET – Enhancing research potential by strengthening a local network of laboratories for studying wetland ecosystems functioning, restoration and management

Duration: 36 months (2009-2012)

EC funding: 937,000 EUR National co-funding: 121,000 EUR

Bulgarian GBIF Node

GBIF European Nodes Meeting, 4-6 April 2011, Paris

Positive developments – 1

Sofia

Atanasovsko Lake

Srebarna Biosphere Reserve

Sozopol

WETLANET laboratories

Bulgarian GBIF Node

GBIF European Nodes Meeting, 4-6 April 2011, Paris

Funded by the National Science Fund – 2009-2011

Consortium of 7 institutes of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and 3 universities

Expected outputs:

-Improving infrastructure of research collections

-Improving laboratory facilities, especially in molecular systematics

-Renovation of analytical equipment involved in ecosystem research

-Improving the network of field stations

-Increasing staff qualification, especially in molecular systematics in collection storing

-Better integration between research potential at the national level

Positive developments – 2

Bulgarian GBIF Node

GBIF European Nodes Meeting, 4-6 April 2011, Paris

Improving infrastructure of research collections

Positive developments – 2

Task for 2011:

Database of digital images of type specimens in the major Bulgarian biodiversity collections:

• National Museum of Natural History

• Herbarium of University of Sofia

• Herbarium of Agrarian University – Plovdiv

• Herbarium of Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research

• Zoological Collections of Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research

Bulgarian GBIF Node

GBIF European Nodes Meeting, 4-6 April 2011, Paris

Reorganization of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (July 2010) resulting into consolidation of the national biodiversity research capacity and expertise

Positive developments – 3

Institute of Zoology

Institute of Botany

Central Laboratoryof General Ecology

Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research

Bulgarian GBIF Node

GBIF European Nodes Meeting, 4-6 April 2011, Paris

Lack of political commitment

Science is not priority for the current Bulgarian government

Lack of national financial resources for research - less 0.2% of the national budget

National Research Priorities (2011 – 2020) – biodiversity not included

No clear vision for the future of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences as a national research centre

Bulgarian GBIF partner

Ministry of Education, Youth and Science vs Ministry of Environment and Waters

Lack of IT capacity oriented to biodiversity data – need of training

Problems and needs