BiodiWa Metadata

The goal of the platform is to make all data on biodiversity and water available in Austria discoverable on a metadata level through one platform and to provide access to the widest possible range of users. The implementation will be carried out with interfaces to the existing Biodiversity Atlas Austria, which already fully integrates biodiversity data. The future platform will, in turn, connect to this interface and will be accessible via the frontend of the Biodiversity Atlas. For smooth connectivity, metadata standards — based on already existing international standards — will be developed at the beginning of the project. Data holders, when describing their data (i.e., metadata), as well as users when searching for data, will be guided by these standards. The search results will also include additional filter functions. Data that is actually available will be described as such (available either from the data holder with contact information or via the Biodiversity Atlas through a query). Data that is not provided by the data holder will still be discoverable as metadata. The plan is to use the infrastructure call for the technical implementation (hardware, development, programming of interfaces, user frontend, etc.) and to involve a Data Steward (Georg Neubauer) for support and further implementation activities (metadata standards, partner contracts, data protection and security, quality seal). The data platform will be aligned with the three impact levels of the HE-Mission Waters: 1) Education and awareness, 2) Knowledge transfer, 3) Scientific focus areas (according to the Mission Waters Action Plan).