The Arctic Biodiversity Data Service (ABDS) is the data-management framework for the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council, and its programs and activities including the Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme (CBMP). It is an online, interoperable data management system that serves as a focal point and common platform for all CAFF programs and projects as well as a dynamic source for up-to-date circumpolar Arctic biodiversity information and emerging trends. The goal of the ABDS is to increase access to Arctic biodiversity data for the common good of scientists, policy makers and other stakeholders both inside and outside of the Arctic. It is intended to allow for discovery, archiving and access to data at various scales. Such a framework is essential to ensure effective, consistent, and long-term management of Arctic Biodiversity data.
CAFF is the biodiversity working group of the Arctic Council and consists of National Representatives assigned by each of the eight Arctic Council Member States, representatives of Indigenous Peoples' organizations that are Permanent Participants to the Council, and Arctic Council observer countries and organizations. The CAFF Working Group operates by the Arctic Council Rules of Procedures. CAFF's mandate is to address the conservation of Arctic biodiversity, and to communicate its findings to the governments and residents of the Arctic, helping to promote practices that ensure the sustainability of the Arctic’s living resources. It does so through various monitoring, assessment, and expert group activities. CAFF’s projects provide data for informed decision making to resolve challenges arising from trying to conserve the natural environment and permit regional growth. This work is based upon cooperation between all Arctic countries, indigenous organizations, international conventions, and organizations, and is guided by the CAFF Strategic Plan for the Conservation of Arctic Biological Diversity and biennial Work Plans. To successfully conserve the natural environment and allow for economic development, comprehensive baseline data is required, including the status and trends of Arctic biodiversity, habitats, and ecosystem health. CAFF is developing the framework and tools necessary to create a baseline of current knowledge and to provide dynamic assessments over time. This evolving, sustainable, and responsive approach can produce more regular, timely, and flexible analyses.