DowloadApp.svg.pngQuick access to the key data platforms and tools used throughout eBioNet courses. Find direct links to FBIS, INWARDS, FISHTRAC dashboards, and associated GitHub repositories for open-source code and documentation.
Key Platforms
- FBIS – Freshwater Biodiversity Information System: occurrence records, species data, and mapping tools for Southern African freshwater biodiversity
- INWARDS – Integrated Water Resources Decision Support System: real-time flows, water quality, IHA analysis, and compliance dashboards
- FISHTRAC – Fish tracking and telemetry data management system (access via INWARDS)
- Professor: Hugo Retief
Downloadable templates, data collection forms, and standardised sheets for field work and data management. All templates are provided in editable formats (Word, Excel) and PDF for printing.
- Professor: Hugo Retief
Standard operating procedures, methodological guidelines, and best practice documents for biodiversity monitoring and water resource assessment. These authoritative references support consistent, high-quality data collection across the region.
- Professor: Hugo Retief
Key legislation, international agreements, and policy frameworks relevant to freshwater biodiversity conservation and water resource management in South Africa, Mozambique, and Eswatini. Includes summaries and links to official documents.
South Africa
- National Water Act (NWA), 1998 – Primary legislation governing water resources in South Africa
- National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), 1998 – Framework environmental legislation
- National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA), 2004 – Biodiversity conservation and alien species management
- Ecological Reserve Determination Guidelines – Technical guidelines for determining environmental water requirements
- Resource Quality Objectives (RQO) Guidelines – Framework for setting water resource quality objectives
- National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (NFEPA) – Strategic spatial priorities for freshwater conservation
Mozambique
- Water Law (Lei de Águas), 1991 – Primary water resources legislation
- Environmental Law (Lei do Ambiente), 1997 – Framework environmental legislation
- Regulation on Environmental Impact Assessment – EIA procedures and requirements
- Fisheries Law – Regulations governing inland fisheries
- Conservation Areas Law – Protected area management framework
Eswatini
- Water Act, 2003 – Water resources management legislation
- Environment Management Act, 2002 – Environmental protection framework
- Flora Protection Act – Plant conservation regulations
- Game Act – Wildlife management and conservation
Regional/International
- SADC Protocol on Shared Watercourses (Revised), 2000 – Regional framework for transboundary water cooperation
- UN Watercourses Convention, 1997 – International law on non-navigational uses of international watercourses
- Ramsar Convention – International treaty for wetland conservation
- Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) – Global framework for biodiversity conservation
- INMACOM Agreement – Incomati and Maputo Watercourse Commission establishing agreement
- KOBWA Treaty – Komati Basin Water Authority bilateral agreement (SA-Eswatini)
- REMCO Framework – River and Environmental Management Cooperation initiative
Policy Briefs & Summaries
- Water Governance in the Inkomati Basin
- Environmental Flows in Transboundary Context
- Biodiversity Data Sharing Obligations
- Compliance Monitoring Framework
- Professor: Hugo Retief
Access project outputs, scientific publications, and technical reports from the BIO-SMART project and partner organisations. All materials follow open access principles in line with JRS Biodiversity Foundation requirements.
BIO-SMART Project Reports
- BIO-SMART Phase 1 Final Report (2023) – Summary of Phase 1 achievements and lessons learned
- BIO-SMART Phase 2 Proposal (Nov 2024) – Full project proposal submitted to JRS
- Progress Report 1 (June 2025) – First progress report to JRS
- Progress Report 2 (Dec 2025) – Second progress report to JRS
- Progress Report 3 (June 2026) – Third progress report to JRS
- Final Project Report (Dec 2026) – Comprehensive final report
- Mozambican Data Collection Report (Dec 2025) – Findings from biodiversity data collection in Mozambique
- FISHTRAC Installation Status Report (Dec 2025) – Technical report on Mozambican FISHTRAC deployment
TBLN Meeting Reports
- TBLN Meeting 1 Report (May 2025) – Maputo, Mozambique
- TBLN Meeting 2 Report (Sept 2025) – Mbombela, South Africa
- TBLN Meeting 3 Report (March 2026) – Mbombela, South Africa
- TBLN Meeting 4 Report (Sept 2026) – Maputo, Mozambique
MERL Reports
- MERL Baseline Report (May 2025) – Initial assessment findings
- MERL Final Report (Nov 2026) – Final evaluation of project impact
Scientific Publications
- Dallas, H., et al. (2022). The Freshwater Biodiversity Information System (FBIS). African Journal of Aquatic Science, 47(3), 291-306.
- Burnett, M.J., et al. (2020). Southern African inland fish tracking program (FISHTRAC). Ecological Indicators, 111, 106001.
- Burnett, M.J., et al. (2023). Detecting changes in fish behaviour in real-time. River Research and Applications, 23, 1-19.
- Carnohan, S., et al. (2020). Climate Change Adaptation in Rural South Africa. Journal of Simulation.
Technical Documentation
- INWARDS User Manual – Comprehensive guide to using the INWARDS platform
- INWARDS Technical Documentation – System architecture and API documentation
- FBIS User Guide – Guide to searching, downloading, and contributing data
- FBIS Data Standards Documentation – Data formatting requirements for FBIS contributions
- FISHTRAC Technical Manual – System specifications and operational procedures
eBioNet Course Brochures
- Course 1 Brochure (EN/PT) – Dec 2025
- Course 2 Brochure (EN/PT) – May 2026
- eBioNet Platform Brochure (EN/PT) – July 2025
- Professor: Hugo Retief