Workshop - Center for the Synthesis of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

The workshop took place in Brasilia from the 7th to the 9th March, 2018.

Context:

Understanding the environmental complexity and other dimensions of ecological systems requires a holistic approach that can only be achieved by identifying, retrieving and synthesizing data from distributed sources; collaborating with other scientists from a wide range of disciplines; and investigating many different systems.

Given the growing demand for economically and socially sustainable solutions to complex and urgent environmental problems, multi- and trans-disciplinary studies are essential and particularly feasible when there is a wealth of reliable scientific data and information.

In this scenario, centers of analysis and synthesis appear as effective and indispensable tools for gauging and integrating data, often bringing new value to the knowledge generated regionally, thus facilitating the use of this knowledge for the elaboration of effective public policies and generation of solutions. Within this context, the general objective of this proposal is to structure in Brazil the Center of Synthesis in Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, focused on the production of high-impact scientific syntheses on issues related to biodiversity and associated ecosystem services.

Three phases are planned for the organization of the Center: implementation, simplified structure, consolidated structure. The first two phases will be covered by the proposal with workshops for the scientific community and funding agencies, visits to consolidated international centers, structuring the Center's management unit and preparation of subsidies for the first public call for synthesis.

Objective:

Definition of guidelines for the Implementation Phase of the Center (2018)

1. Definition of the mission, objectives and strategies for managing, evaluating and monitoring of the implementation of the Center;

2. Establishment of national and international partnerships;

3. Stakeholder mapping and communication concept for stakeholder dialogue;

4. Funding strategy for Brazilian partners, cooperation agreements;

5. Discussion on the model of selection, monitoring and evaluation of synthesis projects.

Outcomes:

The group agreed to the necessity for the project and a preliminary agenda was elaborated for implementation of the center.