role of ngos in data collection and management
TRANSCRIPT
Sinsamout Ounboundisane, Erin Loury, Shaara Ainsley, and Harmony PatricioMekong River System Science Data Workshop
Ho Chi Minh City, September 2014
The Role of NGOs in Data Collection and Management in the Mekong Basin
NGOS = Non-Governmental OrganizationsExamples:
Non-Profit OrganizationsPrivate CompaniesCitizen Groups
Many NGOs are actively collecting data in the Mekong Basin
What are NGOs?
NGOs Can Help Fill Data Gaps on Various Themes
Biodiversity assessments
Environmental monitoring
Food consumption and food security
Ecosystem stewardship and resource use
Livelihoods and economics
Governance
How do NGOs Collect Data?
Community interviews
Collect environmental data
Design research studies
Train citizens to collect data through a participatory approach
Nam Kading Aquatic Resources Survey
Conducted by FISHBIO with support from WCS
Location: Nam Kading River, Bolikamxay Province, Lao PDR
Trained villagers to collect data through participatory approach:
Data collected
Fishing catches
Household food consumption
Market surveys
Standardized Fishery Survey Pilot Study
Conducted by FISHBIO
Location: Mekong River, Sangthong District, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR
Trained fishers to collect data through participatory approach:
Data collectedFish species and abundanceFish lengths and weightFishing effort
Uploaded project data to Mekong Fish Network Databank
Evaluating Spillover of Fish Conservation Zones to Village Fishing Catches
Conducted by FISHBIO in collaboration with WWF Location: Nam Kading River, Bolikamxay ProvinceTrained villagers to tag fishes inside Fish Conservation ZoneInstructed fishers to report recaptures of tagged fish to Lao Women’s UnionData collected
Fish recapture rateFish movements outside of FCZ
Water Quality Monitoring
Conducted by Asia FoundationLocations: 10 villages, 10 small rivers of two provinces in central LaosMethods: Collect invertebrates with kick nets, 2 times per year (wet and dry seasons)Data collected
Presence/absence of 38 representative benthic macro-invertebrates that have sensitivity to the status of water quality.
Scientific Data Gaps and Needs in the Mekong Basin
Population status of aquatic organisms (past and current trends)
Ecosystem impacts of climate change
Ecosystem impacts of human development
Capacity building and education
Best practices for environmental conservation
How can NGO data benefit government and academic research?
NGOs often have developed relationships with local communities
Sharing data and resources can increase geographic and temporal scope of research, while reducing budgets
Can help fulfill agency reporting requirements without using agency money and resources
Including NGOs as collaborators can increase project credibility
Institutional Challenges and Needs
Lack of standardized format for collecting informationDifferent organizations will have different goals and objectives
Data collected without time or resources to conduct analysis
Challenges of data quality control and analysis
Technical challenges: data lost or corrupted
Lack of continuation with staff turnover
Difficulty communicating the importance of why the data matter
Need for a network to share findings or achievements
Need for peer review and reliable references
Addressing Challenges: The Mekong Fish Network
Goals:
Build the technical capacity of local people and institutions
Facilitate dialogue and collaboration across borders to
Create connections and provide tools to share knowledge
The Mekong Fish Network provides a platform for groups of all kinds to share their work
Tools for Communication:www.mekongfishnetwork.org
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