The National Biodiversity Centre (NBC) officially launched the Bhutan Biodiversity Specimen Repository (BBSR), a national digital repository for its biological specimens, a move expected to make biodiversity information easier to manage, retrieve and use for research, conservation and policymaking. The government-hosted platform brings specimen records and related information from across the country into a single digital system managed by NBC and hosted at the Government Data Centre.
The repository contains curated records of preserved plant, fungal and invertebrate specimens collected from Bhutan’s diverse ecosystems. According to the NBC, the system was developed in response to the need for a centralized platform as the country’s biodiversity information continues to grow.
“Bioinformatics in Bhutan is still at its initial stage, and this system aims to fill this gap by providing a centralized and comprehensive digital platform to document and provide real-time information about the country’s preserved scientific biological specimens,” NBC stated.
In addition, the system allows users to manage specimen records, taxonomic information, photographs, collection localities, georeferencing information and other associated biodiversity data.
A taxonomic thesaurus based on accepted scientific names and classifications has also been developed as a core component of the system. Unlike a conventional physical collection, the repository is designed to allow biodiversity information to be systematically documented and retrieved through a single platform. NBC said this would improve access to information for researchers, conservationists, educational institutions, policymakers and other users.
NBC customized the platform through its in-house expertise to meet Bhutan’s specific requirements where the GovTech Agency provided technical and infrastructure support during the development and deployment of the system.
The development process included system customisation, testing, user training and several rounds of addressing issues identified through vulnerability scanning to meet government cybersecurity requirements.
NBC said hosting the system within the Government Data Centre would provide a sustainable national platform for managing the country’s biological collections. “By establishing a nationally managed and government-hosted specimen management system, the initiative provides a sustainable digital foundation for managing and preserving the country’s biological collections and supporting biodiversity research, conservation, education, policy and public access,” the Centre stated.
Biodiversity information and biorepositories have been established in Bhutan since the 1990s and have contributed to the country’s conservation efforts, including citizen-science initiatives.
However, NBC said bioinformatics remains at an early stage in Bhutan, creating a need for stronger digital systems to organize and connect existing biodiversity information.
The new repository is expected to help address this gap by bringing specimen data into one national platform. The information can be used as a reference for scientific research, conservation planning, environmental education and policy formulation. It could also strengthen collaboration between researchers, conservationists and institutions within Bhutan and internationally by improving access to specimen information.
The Centre said it would continue strengthening biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilisation programmes while remaining focused on innovation, accountability and results.
The launch programme was supported financially by the United Nations Development Programme, while the GovTech Agency provided technical backstopping, infrastructure support and guidance.
The Centre said the repository would provide a national reference for documenting and managing Bhutan’s preserved scientific biological specimens.
As Bhutan continues to face the challenge of balancing economic development with environmental conservation, officials believe better access to biodiversity information will be important for making informed decisions.
The digitalisation of specimen records could also help preserve scientific information collected over decades and make it more accessible to future researchers.
Sherab Dorji, Thimphu
