INFORMATION IN TODAY'S WORLD
The world of technology offers an unprecedented opportunity for information management and delivery. Computer technology and the internet have significantly improved the flow of data and information between conservation and resource management professionals, and will continue to streamline and speed up this process.
WHAT ALREADY EXISTS?There are many valuable online data and information resources in existence that support specific components of collaborative adaptive management (CAM) and decision-making: a plethora of data catalogs, decision tools, dynamic maps, databases, and sites that share knowledge.
WHAT MORE IS NEEDED?
The individual pieces of data available online may help support CAM and decision-making, but they are often disjointed or the credibility is not verified. We can use technology to improve information management and delivery (IMD). Specifically, we need:
1. One coordinated system (a first-stop shop):
- There have been several attempts to collect and curate specific data, knowledge, and information pieces, as well as some attempts to specifically track projects. However, each of these resources exists independently without context, requiring the conservation community to know exactly what they’re looking for before going online.
- A widely-accessible online information systems is needed to support all components of collaborative adaptive management and to strategically manage information resources in order to more effectively and efficiently inform users about a particular issue and the strategy being used to address it
2. Goal sharing and tracking:
- There are only limited online resources for tracking progress towards conservation goals and related performance measures.
- An online tracking system is needed to provide participants in the CAM process with a visualization of their collective progress towards regional goals.
FUN FACTS: HOW MANY TRILLIONS OF GALLONS?
Lake erie
131
Lake huron
lake michigan
Lake ontario
lake superior
936
1,290
435
3,000
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Photo credit: © Steve S. Meyer