Building a Global Drylands Information System:

1
Building a Global Drylands Information System
A Collaborative Approach
IALC Conference and Workshop Assessing
Capabilities of Soil and Water Resources in
Drylands The Role of Information Retrieval and
Dissemination Technologies October 20-25, 2002
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The Beginnings of Formal Arid Lands Research

• University of Arizona
• Interdisciplinary tradition dating
• from 1891
• Interests in unique Arizona environment
• Carnegie Desert Botanical Laboratory, 1903
• UNESCO, Arid Zone Advisory Committee (1950s)
• American Association for the Advancement of
  Science (1950s)
• Series of meetings held in the Southwest

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Arid Lands Research at the University of Arizona

• The Advisory Committee for Arid
• Lands Research, 1957
• Rockefeller Grant, 1959
• Army Research Office Grant, 1964
• To conduct an inventory of the worlds desert
  environments
• Institute of Arid Lands Research became the
  Office of Arid Lands Studies, 1964

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Office of Arid Lands Studies

• Divisions and Programs
• Natural Products Center
• economic botany and health in arid
• environments
• Arizona Remote Sensing Center
• remote sensing GIS applications
• Desert Research Unit
• water conservation and reuse
• Economic Development Program
• Arid Lands Information Center

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Arid Lands Information Center

• Mission To utilize the most cost-effective and
  universal means to provide access to information
  on the worlds arid regions
• Specialized information services
• Document collection
• Publications
• Databases
• Technical assistance
• Web site development

6
Reliance on Technology

• Early Adopters from the Start
• ALIS the original Arid Lands
  Information System (1970s)
• Mainframe database management system
• Search for Cost-Effective Means to Disseminate
  information
• Microcomputer systems (1980s)
• CD-ROMs
• Internet and World Wide Web (1990s)

7
New Type of Projects

• Collaborative and interdisciplinary
• Multiple partners multiple sponsors
• Focus on a variety of user needs
• Leverage previous inputs

8
The University of Arizona AgNIC Project and Some
of its Offspring
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The History of ALIS

• Original idea for a global arid lands information
  system, print-based, circa 1970
• Computerized bibliographic database
• Arid Lands Thesaurus
• Information papers
• Arid Lands Newsletter
• Vision for satellite-based system
• Link research centers worldwide

10
Technology to the Rescue

• The World Wide Web ah ha!
• Discussions officially begin among ALIC staff in
  1995
• Results a document for an OASIS
• Time marches on
• Piecemeal development
• Various name changes
• Web-site development
  experience

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Where it Fits in Todays Critical Needs

• World Bank Development Report 2003
• Major challenges
• improve livelihoods on fragile lands
• sustainable management of renewable natural
  resources
• Implications invest in initiatives thatensure
  systematic learning

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More Critical Needs

• National Research Council Grand Challenges in
  Environmental Sciences, 2001
• Biological diversity and ecosystem functioning
• Land-use dynamics
• Climate variability
• Recommendations
• Establish research centers support
  interdisciplinary research make science useful
  to decision-makers, managers, and the public
• International data harmonization

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GEO 3

• Underlying Key Areas for Action
• greater provision of and access to information
  in all its forms as the fundamental basis of
  successful planning and decision-making
• Major Challenges Include
• Threats to biodiversity
• Land degradation
• Pressures on/growth of urban areas
• Human vulnerability to environmental change

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Our Current Vision

• Make Science Practical
• Integrate science, data, applications,
  and location specific information
  and resources to facilitate
  learning and decision-making
• Provide interpretive information and resources
  for multiple levels and types of users
• Identify and work to fill knowledge gaps
• Build Services around Collaborations, Previous
  Inputs, Technology, and Established Standards

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A Prototype Home Page for the Portal
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Combining Science/Research, Data/Tools,
Applications
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Geo-Spatial Access
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Sample Desert-Specific Module
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In-Depth Analysis of Desert Region
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Operational Issues for Collaboration

• Technical Architecture
• Data Integration
• Information and Content
• Accessibility
• Intellectual Property
• General Management and Sustainability
• Operating procedures for collaborators
• Funding options

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Research Areas

• Acquisition and conversion of data and metadata
• Compatibility issues
• Identification and collection of
  data to fill information gaps
• Analysis and synthesis of data and information
• Models, comparisons, interpretations
• Dissemination of data and metadata
• User interfaces
• Visualizations, simulations, GIS applications

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Credits

• Barbara Hutchinson, Director
• Carla Casler, Assistant Director
• Michael Haseltine, Web Designer Systems Support
  
• Katherine Waser, Editor Web Site Manager
• Heather Severson, Web Designer
• Anne Thwaits, Web Graphics Designer
• Bill Becker, Student Library Assistant

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Discussion Questions

• Session One
• Who are the primary user groups for a drylands
  information system and what types of information,
  data, and resources are needed by each potential
  user group?
• What organizations should be involved in
  developing such a system and what specific
  resources do these organizations bring to such a
  system?

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Discussion Questions

• Session Two
• What are the benefits of collaboration and are
  there some tasks where collaboration is not
  useful?
• What are the barriers to collaboration?
• What are the technical issues that should be
  addressed?

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Discussion Questions

• Session Three
• What is needed to make such collaborations
  happen?
• What are possible funding options for developing
  a collaborative drylands information system?
• What are the next steps?