• A Biodiversity Information and Learning Centre, lightly staffed but well-linked with a variety of human and institutional resources– both professional and community-based– available in Palestine and abroad.
• A series of information and training activities provided by the BILC to match the needs of Palestinian society, including a national biodiversity GIS and specific learning programmes and modules for governmental staff and the public at large.

Activities

• PEnA identifies and appoints a small multi-disciplinary team in charge of developing and managing the BILC. The team will include professionals in biological as well as social and communication sciences.
• The team sets up the BILC on the basis of both an accurate assessment of needs (e.g. biodiversity learning needs of government employees at various levels) and a feasibility analysis (available human and financial resources).
• The BILC gathers and diffuses biodiversity information, on the basis of a social communication plan including community-based mutual learning workshops.
• The BILC collates biodiversity information and organises it in the form of accessible databases and a biodiversity GIS facility, as needed.
• The BILC develops and offers a variety of learning modules and programmes for both governmental and NGO staff and the public at large.
• The BILC collaborates with other institutions in Palestine (e.g. Universities and research centres as well as NGOs and community-based and private businesses) to promote biodiversity-related initiatives and projects (including profit-generating projects).
• The BILC actively seeks its own funding sources to continue providing its service beyond the initial funding period.

Duration

Four years.

Estimated Budget Break-Down