SANParks BIMS
Putting biodiversity data to work in protected area management
About
South African National Parks (SANParks), in partnership with the Freshwater Research Centre (FRC) and technical partner Kartoza Pty Ltd, developed an online Biodiversity Information Management System (BIMS) to upload, store and explore terrestrial, marine and freshwater biodiversity data across national parks and marine protected areas in South Africa. Phase 1 of the project started in 2024 and was funded by the JRS Biodiversity Foundation. The SANParks BIMS was developed using the same basic architecture as FRC’s flagship information platform, the Freshwater Biodiversity Information system, FBIS, and tailored to suit the needs of SANParks staff and management.
Significant time, funds and expertise are required to collect biodiversity data, and these investments are undermined when poor data management practices result in data loss, reduced data quality, loss of institutional knowledge, limited data accessibility and poor decision-making, ultimately reducing an organisation’s ability to successfully fulfil its conservation mandate.
The SANParks BIMS therefore functions as a standardised data repository where biodiversity occurrences can be collated and managed to support the effective conservation of some of South Africa’s most threatened species and landscapes. One of the system’s primary capabilities is to generate checklists for selected taxonomic groups within parks, with additional information such as conservation status and origin or invasion status included. Data access controls are strictly enforced, ensuring that sensitive species’ locations remain restricted to authorised SANParks staff. To further facilitate adaptive management, Phase 2 of the project, funded by the AFD (French Development Agency), now supports the monitoring of invasive species encroachment into protected areas and tracks changes in species’ conservation status over time, providing indicators that can be used for early detection and pre-emptive action.
Photographs courtesy of Nicola van Wilgen-Bredenkamp
The project was initially led by former SANParks Bioinformatics and Science Manager, Dian Spear, and is now managed by Senior Science Manager, Judith Botha. In just two short years, the SANParks data team’s hard work resulted in more than 1 million biodiversity records being uploaded to the platform. This remarkable achievement demonstrates the rapid uptake of the platform by staff members and the successful integration of the BIMS into organisational workflows that ensure biodiversity data are systematically captured, stored and made available to inform conservation planning and management decisions.
The FRC is proud to have partnered with SANParks to deliver a robust, user-centred biodiversity information system that is transforming the way biodiversity data are managed across South Africa’s protected areas. By ensuring that high-quality biodiversity data are securely stored, readily accessible and effectively used, the SANParks BIMS is strengthening evidence-based conservation and helping to safeguard the country’s unique biodiversity for generations to come.
Status
Ongoing
Project Leader
Dr Helen Dallas