Consequently, one of the strategic objectives of the NBSAP is the expansion and improvement of the information base on the biodiversity of Ethiopia. This is reiterated in the Fifth National Report, which sets a target that by 2017 the “national biodiversity database is strengthened, information dissemination strategy is devised and the Clearing House Mechanism is updated”. The challenges to the collection and dissemination of national-level information include lack of infrastructure, lack of skilled manpower and a low' level of co-ordination across different scientific fields.