Foundation stone laid for multinational research centre in the Caucasus

Where exactly did the excursion take you? What was the goal?

With a total of 30 students from Germany and Georgia, we visited the only biodiversity hotspot in the temperate latitudes. Surrounded by the mountains of the Lesser and Greater Caucasus, a unique and extremely diverse flora and fauna has developed here. We took a closer look at these natural features and their climatic history on site. This time, the focus was on western Georgia with its primeval forests and the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Kintrishi and Kolkheti National Park. The excursion was made possible as part of a teaching assignment by the Department of Geography at the University of Bonn, in combination with the ERASMUS lecturer mobility programme between the LIB and Ilia State University (Tbilisi, Georgia).

Were there any surprises and special moments?

For me, it was the first time that our work was accompanied by an external filmmaker. I was very touched when I saw the result. The film illustrates very impressively how special it is to research, teach and learn together with others in this beautiful natural environment. And this is exactly what the CaBOL project stands for: for an international research community with the common goal of inventorying biodiversity in the Caucasus and thus contributing to the protection of this special natural area.

Where are you with the project at the moment? What have you already achieved?

Since the start of the project in May 2020, we have achieved all of our goals and in some cases even exceeded them: We have created a freely accessible database that currently contains more than 22,000 entries and is expected to contain more than 30,000 entries by the end of the project. This data will form the most important basis for all subsequent biodiversity projects in the region. The value of this "treasure" will probably only be truly appreciated in a few years' time.

What happens next?

Unfortunately, the CaBOL project in its current form will end in February 2024. It is not yet clear how the project can be continued, as the first funding phase from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) will end in spring 2024. We would of course very much like to be able to continue the project in order, firstly, to record all the organisms occurring in the region for the database, secondly, to review the conservation efforts with the help of monitoring and, thirdly, in the best case scenario, to identify nature-based solution strategies for the upcoming man-made problems, such as crop failures caused by climate change or the use of pesticides in agriculture.

How is the collaboration with the researchers from Georgia developing?

The collaboration with our colleagues from Georgia and Armenia was very good and goal-orientated right from the start. The successful realisation of the CaBOL project is due to the fact that the CaBOL consortium consists of scientists who have a common goal, namely to protect the biodiversity of the Caucasus. At the beginning of the project, the collaboration was strongly characterised by the effects of the pandemic. But once research trips and workshops on site in the Caucasus were finally possible again, everything progressed rapidly.

How is the establishment of the scientific infrastructure and a multinational biodiversity centre in the Caucasus going?

The passion of all colleagues involved at the LIB and at the partner institutions in Germany and the Caucasus was (and still is) impressive. This enabled us to establish the laboratory infrastructure and work processes faster than expected. Originally started with seven partner institutions, the CaBOL network now includes a large number of institutions from the entire region, for example Ukraine, Poland and Romania. We want to further consolidate this network and deepen it through constant dialogue and joint projects. Our major goal is to establish a multinational research centre on site in the Caucasus. Based on the data we have collected, this centre should play a leading global role in biodiversity research. CaBOL will have been one, if not the most important, foundation stone for this.

What is happening at a political level to move the project forward?

Projects like CaBOL require close international co-operation. Diplomatic efforts, treaties and partnerships between countries facilitate the exchange of scientific data, materials and expertise. Political decision-makers also play an important role in sensitising the public to the project. Successful scientific projects that transcend national borders can thus be crucial in promoting peace, stability and co-operation across an entire region. The success of the CaBOL project and similar initiatives depends on the support and commitment of policy makers and government agencies that are committed to biodiversity conservation and scientific research. It is therefore crucial that these efforts are aligned with broader environmental and conservation goals at regional and global levels. For these reasons, we are in constant contact with the relevant decision-makers in order to provide information on current results and developments and to drive forward the establishment of a research centre for biodiversity that will be highly relevant to society. For example, the CABOL team invites you to the symposium "Exploring the Biodiversity of the Caucasus - Insights from ongoing international collaborations" at the University of Tbilisi on 20 and 21 November.