On September 28, the Social Biodiversity Forum 2020 took place in Vitoria-Gasteiz. The Forum has its origin in the Biodiversity Strategy of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country 2030, whose Goal 3 -Promotion of knowledge and culture of Nature - states that the creation of occasions for stakeholders participation is key to improve communication, dialogue and the generation of knowledge.
The Forum allows the meeting of local stakeholders from a wide variety of sectors (research, private and public companies, environmental societies, educational organizations, etc.). Due to current sanitary restrictions, the Forum could not take place in the participatory format like in the previous editions and it was held in a mixed exhibition format, in person and on-line. This year's edition was the fifth one and it was dedicated to presenting the conclusions of the report on the State of Nature in the Basque Country and the progress of the Basque Country Action Plan of the BID-REX project.
The BID-REX Basque Country Action Plan establishes the rules of the game and a framework for those involved in the collection and use of data and information. It also provides a roadmap for the generation of useful knowledge both for the conservation of nature and for the generation of public value. The Action Plan is structured in 5 sections: Nature Information System, Knowledge Network, Create and integrate expert knowledge, Criteria for public funding and Citizen Science.
For an effective implementation of the Action Plan, it is necessary to involve all interested parties in a permanent framework of collaboration, of which the Forum is its annual expression. Moving towards a common and shared approach implies assuming a more active role and a framework of co-responsibility. Innobasque, the Basque Innovation Agency, is providing social innovation expertise, skills and resources to engage stakeholders and document the entire process.
For a video (in Spanish) of the event click here
