Ghana to implement Data Reporting Tool for biodiversity reporting

A Data Reporting Tool (DaRT) for biodiversity reporting has been piloted for stakeholders in the environmental industry.

This cutting-edge tool, spearheaded by the United Nations, is designed to streamline and harmonise how countries report on progress in biodiversity to address the common issue of overlapping figures across different conventions.

Biological diversity is the variety of all living things and their interactions.

Obligation

The Director for Environment at the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Peter Dery, said being a party of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) underlined each country's obligation to report its biodiversity metrics every four years. 

However, complications arise when various institutions report conflicting figures on similar issues, leading to confusion and discrepancies.

Dr Dery said this at a workshop on the DaRT held in Accra.

“For instance, Ghana's Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) and its Forestry Department may both report on the same target, afforestation, yet produce different figures, raising questions about data integrity and national accountability,” he said.

“The tool aims to eliminate these overlaps and ensure consistency across reports. This synergy is crucial not only for adhering to international reporting 
obligations but also for fostering transparency within the country,” he said.

Subsequently, Dr Dery said those tools would make it easier for the country to converge data, ensuring that “when Ghana speaks about biodiversity, we speak with one voice”.

Practical purpose

Dr Dery further said beyond improving international reporting, the data collected through that  tool would serve practical purposes at the national level.

“Policymakers can utilise the generated reports to inform the development of programmes and projects that were pivotal for environmental conservation and sustainable development.

“The capacity for accurate data generation holds considerable potential for enhancing decision-making processes that affect biodiversity initiatives in Ghana,” he said. 

Standard

Consequently, with the adoption of the Data Reporting Tool, Dr Dery said, Ghana was prepared not only to meet its reporting obligations but also to set a standard for other countries facing similar challenges.

“The initiative exemplifies a commitment to transparency, cooperation, and effective environmental governance, marking a transformative step towards better biodiversity management,” he stated.

A representative from UNEP, Emilie Vanchel, said the tool was currently being tested in a few countries, with Ghana at the forefront of the initiative.

“The DaRT tool provides private and secure national workspaces enabling countries to organise, share and store information, data, knowledge and guidance 
across conventions  according to national, regional and global environmental objectives, “ she said.

Ms Vanchel further stated that the development of DaRT was done in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Information, Portal on Multilateral Environmental Agreements (InforMEA) and UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC).