|
| The project "Implementation of the Global Plan of Action for the Conservation
and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
in Asia and the Pacific Region (GCP/RAS/186/JPN)" aims to contribute to enhanced
world food security and socio-economic development, reduced poverty, and
sustainable agricultural systems through the conservation and sustainable use
of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA).
Its immediate objectives are:
- To assess the current status of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) in order to fill information gaps in each of the participating countries and to identify their needs and priorities for the conservation and sustainable utilization of PGRFA within the framework of the Global Plan of Action for the conservation and sustainable utilization of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (GPA)
- To improve national capacity in monitoring PGRFA activities within the framework of the GPA by empowering them with tools for leading efficient decision-making processes and evaluating and developing PGRFA policies at the national level
- To share within the region successful experiences in the implementation of GPA priority activity areas related to in situ conservation and on-farm management and to improve national capacity in carrying out PGRFA in situ conservation and on-farm management.
This FAO project is funded by the Government of Japan and is operating from the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand. Presently the participating countries are Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam.
|
|
| The dates and venues of the In Situ Conservation Workshop and the GIS Training course |
|
In Situ Conservation Workshop: from 29 to 31 of August 2005.
Geographical Information System (GIS) Training Course: from 1 to
2 of September 2005.
Both the workshop and the training course were held in the same venue at the FAO
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand.
|
|
| Objectives of the In Situ Conservation Workshop |
|
| The purposes of the in situ conservation workshop were to
share knowledge and experiences among project member countries in the region on in
situ conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources, to discuss
methodologies for in situ conservation, data collection and management of
information, to raise public awareness of the importance of this work and to develop
strategies for the future. |
|
| Objectives of the GIS Training Course |
|
| A general introduction to GIS applications and
specific application of the
DIVA-GIS (Version-5) were provided. DIVA-GIS is a geographic information
system for the analysis of biodiversity data; it can be used to analyze the
distribution of organisms to elucidate geographic and ecological patterns.
The purpose of this training program was to provide sufficient knowledge to
the country participants to enable them to use the DIVA-GIS to map the
distribution of specific species/landrace/varieties of in situ conservation sites,
analyze the diversity and richness of the taxa based on their specific traits, predict
the most suitable areas for growing the crops or predict most likely areas where
the species can be found using the Ecological Niche model. |
|
|
| The GCP/RAS/186/JPN Project, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Thailand in collaboration with NIAS, Japan. |
|
|
| For the In Situ Conservation Workshop:
National focal points of the project from Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam; individual researchers and experts, representatives from organizations and donor communities interested in the subject.
For the GIS Training Course: Restricted to selected participants from the member participating countries of the project, due to limited space and facilities.
|
|
|
| Welcome address
by He Changchui,
Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative
for Asia and the Pacific.
|
|
|
The outcomes of the workshop and training course were as follows:
- Guidelines and data format for collecting information for case studies discussed and agreed on
- Country status of plant genetic resources in situ conservation presented and the needs and priority for the future identified
- Methodologies for in situ conservation research and management shared among participants
- Future directions for plant genetic resources in situ conservation research and management in Asia discussed and recommendations made
- Participants to the GIS training course can use the knowledge learned from the course to enhance work on plant genetic resources in situ conservation research and management
|
|
|
|
|
For further information please contact:
N. Quat Ng
Chief Technical Advisor, GCP/RAS/186/JPN
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
E-mail: Quat.Ng@fao.org
Fax: (+66 2) 2800760
Telephone: (+66 2) 6974290 |
|