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inclusive of all scientists across the globe, including those in scientific institutions of the south. It is a major step change; it is the trend of the world and South African scientists and science institutions need to emulate this approach.
BETTER SHARING OF INFORMATION AND DATA GLOBALLY
Over the centuries, much investment has been made in scientific research. Overwhelmingly, this has been directly or indirectly from taxpayer’s money. Scientific research has had huge returns on investment for humankind in health, agriculture, engineering, understanding human history, etc. There is no doubt that scientific endeavour has driven innovation and human advancement. However, scientists are notorious for not sharing information and data. This can result in wasteful duplication and destructive competitiveness for a shrinking pot of global funds for research.
In addition, increased reliance
on the privatisation of research and development means that more and more vital information for human well-being is out of the public
domain. For example, our country’s species/specimen data lies in over 35 institutions, including this museum. As stand-alone institutions, we will perish or get lost among the many demands on the national fiscus, but together, we can make a more powerful case for the importance of biodiversity.
Science must also endeavour to speak in a language that is understandable
to citizens, and must cultivate citizen scientists. In South Africa, much of our threatened plant species data, as well as our world renowned bird data, is driven by citizen science. Harnessing our citizens, exciting them about this amazing asset, and assisting people to get value and give value, are the best ways to conserve our natural assets. For science to stay relevant, to be respected and be regarded as vital for the future, science needs a form
of democratisation. Science needs to share accessible, useable, fit-for-purpose information – to include knowledge gleaned from best practice and from projects and pilots run all over the globe.
In a mega biodiversity country like South
Africa, the foundational research and primary data collected by SANBI is harnessed to make the economic and social case for the link between the asset and our developmental goals, resulting in higher fiscal support for science from our government.
All this is very possible in this
digital era, where new channels and technologies driven by IT innovations, make what was impossible a decade ago very possible today and tomorrow. The Global Biodiversity Information Facility, and SANBI as its South African node, strives to do this. We have contributed a great deal of our country’s biodiversity data gathered from many institutions towards this purpose.
STRENGTHENING SCIENCE INSTITUTIONS AND GLOBAL HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT
Developing country institutions such as those scientific institutions on the African continent, are at the coal-face with issues in SDGs. African and other scientists and science institutions have vast experience in these matters but research budgets are often the first to be cut, competing for other demands on the fiscus, such as education, health, housing, etc.
Scientists from the south bring unique hands-on experience and expertise to challenges of sustainable development, but are often hampered by a lack of financial resources and a lack of access
to data and information. Scientific institutions of the south have, over the
decades, developed pragmatic and invaluable strategies to survive resource constraint, a constraint only now hitting the shores of the rest of the world after the 2008 economic meltdown. We at SANBI collaborate with all institutions and organisations to achieve our mandate of championing biodiversity.
Science institutions constantly face the dilemma of pure science versus applied science, the former seen to be a luxury we cannot afford. However, we in developing countries found that we must show relevance to national growth and development goals – even in the case of pure or foundational science. For example, in a mega biodiversity country like South Africa, the foundational research and primary data collected by SANBI is harnessed to make the economic and social case for the link between the asset (that is our natural capital) and our developmental goals, resulting in higher fiscal support for science from our government. An example of this is the work we are doing on an ecological infrastructure concept with eThekwini Municipality.
Scientific institutions are made up of people but there is a global lack of scientists and there are worrying signs of science institutional failure. So called poaching and the brain drain are seen in a negative light. We need to see human capital development for science and science institutional strengthening for SDG implementation as a national and global effort, growing skilled assets for the country and the planet. We should use the advent of the SDGs to develop a global human capital development (HCD) strategy for science and sustainable development.
CONCLUSION
Each SDG should have a clearer understanding of challenges and so support successful implementation. Also needed is a global HCD perspective identifying skills, expertise and institutional roles and capacity to successfully implement the aspirations set out in the new SDGs. Only then will the SDGs be instrumental in ensuring the sustainability and resilience of our country’s and the planets’ natural heritage.
thola: VOLUME 17. 2014/15