Database

Database systems for ethnotaxonomy and ethnobiology Symposium held in Nairobi (Kenya) 2-6 September 1996

One way to combat the erosion of both cultural and biological diversity is through the documentation and storage of indigenous knowledge. Ethnobiological information created and maintained by local communities can also be conserved as data through its incorporation into a computerized database. As the pressures on traditional and indigenous communities and their distinctive lifestyles mount, the search for ways to support the conservation and transmission of indigenous knowledge about biological diversity is becoming increasingly urgent. The use of computerized information systems can be effective as systems of conservation only when they support the maintenance and transmission of knowledge within and by those communities that developed the knowledge. The symposium entitled 'Database systems for ethnotaxonomy and ethnobiology' at the International Congress of Ethnobiology, provided a timely forum for the discussion of these pressing issues and possible solutions. Ethnobiological databases must be shaped by the nature of local knowledge systems and their understanding of biodiversity. The brief descriptors used in standard taxonomic databases need to give way to more detailed forms which do not compromise the holistic nature of traditional knowledge. Databases which remove ethnobiological information from its cultural and textual background ultimately fail to support the continuation of indigenous knowledge systems. Technical formats used here must strike a balance between ease of accessibility, possibilities of disaggregation and aggregation of data sets, and the rich texture of the local information contained within. The exact form of expression used in both these categories (data and text) determines the final portrayal and perception of realities. Furthermore, although computerized ethnobiological databases are most easily organized and managed through centralized locations, respect for traditional resource rights requires that the original creators of this knowledge (local peoples) should have final control over the knowledge that is recorded and exchanged within all such systems. The workshop sought to initiate an ongoing discussion in order to explore the issues of documentation, ethics, integrity, and equity in the access and storage of indigenous ethnobiological data. The participants represented a wide range of organizations, and the presentations covered a variety of fields, including information science, anthropology and biology. Several of the papers described systems currently in operation. These ranged from large, central databases maintained by Western research institutions to smaller locally maintained stores for topical indigenous knowledge. (Pablo B. Eyzaguirre and B. Landon Myer) Contact: Pablo B. Eyzaguirre, IPGRI, Via delle Sette Chiese 142, 00145 Rome, Italy. Fax: +39-6-5750309. E-mail: P.eyzaguirre@cgnet.com (See also notice under Conferences: 'Ethnobiology'.)

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