5.5 Generating and sharing conservation knowledge and practice
To keep achieving conservation gains the Department must continue to grow its knowledge base, and keep developing tools and techniques and applying these in the field. It is already known in New Zealand and internationally for its science and technical excellence. Increased knowledge of the scale of the conservation challenge, exacerbated by climate change, means the Department must continue to improve in these areas.
As in all other areas of conservation, the Department is far from the only contributor to conservation knowledge and technique development. Shared knowledge and effort between key players will lead to better results for conservation overall.
5.5.1 Science
The Department continues to develop and maintain strong strategic alliances with other science providers, and with the international science and conservation community. A key means to optimise its science investment has been through participating in the Outcome-Based Investment (OBI) programmes funded through the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology. These programmes have the potential to deliver many more science results than would be possible for the Department on its own. The Department seeks to maximise the benefits from this investment, in particular by working with others to develop systems to promote timely translation of research results to operational applications.
Actions in 2008-2009
The focus will be on:
- Articulating a science model and system to meet future needs within the Department, including addressing ways to communicate, and promote use of, new knowledge.
- Working with others to continue to develop knowledge of the implications of climate change for places and species
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5.5.2 Natural heritage management system
The natural heritage management system (NHMS) is being developed to create a nationally consistent, scientifically sound system of natural heritage management, enabling prioritisation, planning and monitoring of achievement.
To support this system, the Department is working to improve the accuracy and efficiency of its data collection (including field data), and to develop a greater ability to integrate data both internally and with other agencies (such as regional and local authorities). There is ongoing development of nationally consistent inventories, classification systems, prioritisation processes, and monitoring and reporting methods.
Development and implementation of this system is being done progressively, with tools put into operational use as they become available.
The longer term aim is to develop the natural heritage management system into a system that is shared with others to contribute towards national planning and reporting on the state of New Zealand's biodiversity.
Actions in 2008-2009
The focus will be on:
- Identifying priority freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems and their management requirements.
- Identifying priority threatened species and measures to secure them from extinction.
- Developing a national inventory and monitoring 'toolbox' for use in terrestrial and freshwater environments.
Links to State Services Development Goals: 2 Networked State Services, and 4 Coordinated State Agencies
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