Assessing progress towards the 2010 biodiversity target
Developing a country assessment methodology
With support of the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Countdown
2010 and partners are developing a framework for reporting progress towards
the 2010 biodiversity target.
- Background information on monitoring and indicators
- For consultation: Draft Work Plan (November 2005, pdf, 0.4 MB)
Copenhagen Workshop
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November 2005 Copenhagen, Denmark. “To save biodiversity, we
need to know where we stand and where we are going”, said Sebastian
Winkler in his introduction to the first Countdown 2010 Assessment Workshop
this week in Copenhagen. More than twenty experts and users of biodiversity
assessment methodologies came together to discuss needs and perspectives
for a Countdown 2010 reporting scheme. While the state of biodiversity appeared
comparatively well assessed, more work is needed to measure policy responses
to the 2010 biodiversity target. Countdown 2010 will continue to develop
a framework for reporting progress towards the target.
Background paper on assessing progress towards 2010
This background paper is intended to be an input to discussions on a suitable methodology. It essentially presents four different assessment and/or evaluation methodologies, and reviews their suitability for assessing progress to 2010. On the basis of this review, the conclusions outline initial thinking on a ‘hybrid’ methodology that would form the basis of discussions at a stakeholder workshop to be held on 3-4 November 2005 in Copenhagen. It was written by Clare Miller and Clare Coffey from the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP).
Partner initiatives
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) is an international work program designed to meet the needs of decision makers and the public for scientific information concerning the consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being and options for responding to those changes. The results of the project were published in a series of brilliant reports in 2005.
A coordinated programme for Streamlining European 2010 Biodiversity Indicators (SEBI2010) has been initiated to develop a European set of biodiversity indicators to assess and inform about progress towards the European 2010 targets. The work is performed in collaboration between EEA (the European Environment Agency), ECNC (the European Centre for Nature Conservation) and UNEP-WCMC (the World Conservation Monitoring Centre).
The 2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP) is a new initiative that brings together the numerous organisations and agencies working on the selected biodiversity indicators. The BIP will support the regular delivery of the 2010 indicators at the global level in a way that is useful for policy intervention and communicating degree of success in achieving the 2010 target. In addition, it will establish links between global and regional biodiversity indicator development, and relate this work to other targets and indicators used in international conventions and initiatives, such as the Millennium Development Goals.
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