The Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice,
Recalling the guidance provided in decision VII/30 on the identification, development and use of indicators and ways of communicating progress towards the 2010 biodiversity target,
Emphasizing the value of indicators to evaluate achievements and progress in the implementation of the three objectives of the Convention and the achievement by 2010 of a significant reduction in the current rate of loss of biological diversity,
Aware of the need for strengthening national capacities, especially in developing countries, in particular the least developed and small island developing States among them, and countries with economies in transition, to enable them to contribute to the indicators used for assessing progress towards the 2010 target and, where so desired by Parties, to use the same indicators at the regional, subregional, national and local levels as tools for the implementation of the Convention and of national biodiversity strategies and action plans,
1. Welcomes the report of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Indicators for Assessing Progress Towards the 2010 Biodiversity Target (UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/10/INF/7);
2. Expresses its appreciation to:
(a) The Governments of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America for their financial support of the meeting;
(b) Other Governments and organizations for the participation of their representatives;
(c) The Co-Chairs and all the members of the Group for their contributions;
3. Confirms the suitability of those indicators considered by the Conference of the Parties as ready for immediate testing and use;
4. Considers the following indicators ready for immediate testing, while recognizing that data availability and/or indicator methodology may require improvement prior to 2010:
(a) Change in status of threatened species;
(b) Trends in genetic diversity of domesticated animals, cultivated plants, and fish species of major socio-economic importance;
(c) Area of forest, agricultural and aquaculture ecosystems under sustainable management;
(d) Trends in invasive alien species; [9]/
(e) Connectivity/fragmentation of ecosystems;
5. In respect to the indicators mentioned in paragraph 4 above, given the broad nature of these indicators, recommends that various sources of data could be used, including, but not limited to, the following:
(a) The application of the Red List Index approach, developed by the Red List Consortium (IUCN, BirdLife International, Conservation International and NatureServe), to selected taxonomic and ecological/functional groups for which data exist, as an indicator of Change in status of threatened species;
(b) The use of suitable data on both in situ and ex situ conservation, including genetic diversity of tree species of socio-economic importance, as an indicator of Trends in genetic diversity of domesticated animals, cultivated plants, and fish species of major socio-economic importance;
(c) The use of a range of parameters, including, where appropriate, but not limited to, the area under certified production systems, biological corridors, and areas under community management, as an indicator of Area of forest, agricultural and aquaculture ecosystems under sustainable management;
(d) Recognizing the limited global data on invasive alien species and the lack of a consistent approach towards calculating cost of alien invasions, to draw on the information available at the national level and data available through the Global Invasive Species Information Network (GISIN);
(e) The initial application of the indicator on Connectivity/fragmentation of ecosystems to forest and inland water ecosystems;
6. Further recommends the urgent development of the indicators identified by the Conference of the Parties and the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice at its tenth meeting as requiring further work;
7. Reaffirms the importance for the relevant open-ended working groups to develop global headline indicators on the Status of traditional knowledge, innovations and practices and on the Status of access and benefit-sharing;
8. Invites the organizations listed in annex I to this recommendation to contribute the data and analysis required for the delivery of the indicators, and the Parties and other Governments to facilitate this task, including by collecting and sharing information relevant to each indicator, inter alia by contributing such information to relevant databases;
9. Invites Parties, other Governments, and national, regional and international organizations that have data sets relevant to assessing progress towards the 2010 target to contribute pro-actively through the provision of relevant information to the realization of the second edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook;
10. Notes that the indicators can be used to assess progress towards the goals and sub-targets adopted in decision VII/30 as set out in annex II to this recommendation;
11. Calls for urgent increased capacity-building efforts and financial support to developing countries, in particular the least developed and small island developing States among them, and countries with economies in transition, to the organizations listed in annex I to the present recommendation to facilitate their contributions to the use, testing and further development of the indicators relevant to the 2010 target.
12. Requests the Executive Secretary to:
(a) Develop an overall delivery plan for the indicators, data and analyses, taking into account the timetable for developing the Global Biodiversity Outlook, clarifying the arrangements and responsibilities for development and delivery of the indicators, setting out the roles of the Secretariat, the World Conservation Monitoring Centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP-WCMC), and other relevant international organizations, taking into account information provided through national reports, voluntary reports, indicators in use by Parties, other Governments and relevant organizations;
(b ) Prepare a full characterization of the methods, technical limitations and the availability of data sources for the calculation of the indicators, and the validity of making global estimates;
(c) Report on progress made in the development of the indicators listed in annex I to this recommendation at the eleventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice, and, if necessary, and subject to the availability of resources, convene another meeting of an ad hoc technical expert group to facilitate this task and provide additional scientific advice to the Subsidiary Body;
(d) Develop and submit, for consideration by the Conference of the Parties at its eighth meeting, an information strategy to ensure that the indicators, data and analyses are periodically available over the coming years to support policy intervention and communication with respect to the 2010 target;
(e) Explore options for reporting on the impact of climate change on biological diversity, using the framework of indicators relevant to the 2010 target and report thereon to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice at its eleventh meeting;
(f) Explore options for the identification of process indicators for the four global goals for the Strategic Plan of the Convention, and report thereon to the Open-ended Working Group on the Review of Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and to the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice at its eleventh meeting.
13. Invites the Open-ended Working Group on the Review of Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity to consider the linkages between the process for assessing progress towards the 2010 target, including the use of indicators, and national reporting, with a view to streamlining future national reporting.
Annex I
Headline Indicator [10]/
Status[11]/
Potential Measures
Data available now?
Method-ology available now?
Possible sources of data
Organizations to coordinate delivery of indicator
Trends in extent of selected biomes, ecosystems, and habitats [12]/
B
Forests, and forest types (e.g. mangroves)
Yes
FRA (FAO); EU-JRC, NASA Modland; Corine land cover (see appendix 2 to the AHTEG report)
UNEP-WCMC (with FAO, NASA-NGO Conservation Working Group and other relevant partners)
Peatlands
Various national datasets and remote-sensing (see appendix 2 to the AHTEG report)
Coral reefs
GCRMN/Reefcheck
Croplands
National regional datasets and remote-sensing (see appendix 2 to the AHTEG report), MA
(Natural) grasslands
Remote-sensing (see appendix 2 to the AHTEG report), MA
Polar/ice
Remote-sensing( see appendix 2 to the AHTEG report), MA
Inland wetlands
No
Tidal flats/estuaries
Seagrasses
Seagrass Atlas, MA
Dry and sub-humid lands
LADA, Remote-sensing (see appendix 2), MA
Urban
Remote-sensing (see appendix 2), MA
Trends in abundance and distribution of selected species
Living Planet Index
WWF
UNEP-WCMC (WWF, Birdlife International and others, encouraged to review and refine methodology for calculation of index; These groups and IUCN encouraged to compare and share data with that used for the Red List Index.) Indices could be developed from data disaggregated (e.g.: migratory species, wetland species))
Various species assemblage-trends indices
Birdlife International and partners, others
Coverage of protected areas
Coverage according to World List of Protected areas.
WCMC/WCPA
UNEP-WCMC/IUCN-WCPA
Ecological networks and corridors
Could be developed
MBC, PEEN etc.
Overlays with areas of key importance to biodiversity
WCMC, WCPA, BirdLife International
Inclusion on community and private protected areas
Management effectiveness
Change in status of threatened species
Red List Index (IUCN-SSC)
Red List Consortium
Red List Consortium (Methodological refinements requested)
Existing data sets for measuring sustainability of agriculture, aquaculture and forestry, including FAO reports, Certification, and Ecological corridors and community-based management areas, and wildlife sustainable management schemes
FAO reports;
Certification bodies (e.g., FSC, MSC, ISO, PEFC, CSA, SFI, LEI); MBC; Parties
UNEP-WCMC with FAO
Proportion of products derived from sustainable sources
C
Equilibrium/WWF/World Bank/TNC intend to propose some indicators
SCBD
Ecological footprint and related concepts
C [13]/
Ecological footprint
Yes,
FAO, IAE, IPCC, UNEP-WCMC
Ecological Footprint network
Other measures of the area of land and sea needed to support production of goods and deliver services
Some
SCBD and UNEP-WCMC
Nitrogen deposition
Available (INI)
models for 2010 could be developed with additional effort
INI with UNEP-WCMC
Trends in invasive alien species [14]/
Numbers and cost of alien invasive species
Yes - some areas
Various, particularly national data sets
GISP
Other measures to be identified and developed
Marine Trophic Index
Available (UBC)
UBC
Water quality of freshwater ecosystems
Indicator of biological oxygen demand (BOD), nitrates and sediments/ turbidity
UNEP-GEMS/Water Programme
Trophic integrity of other ecosystems
SCBD to assemble available information
Connectivity / fragmentation of ecosystems
Patch size distribution of terrestrial habitats (forests and possibly other habitat types)
NASA Consortium; CI; WWF-US based on remote sensing data
UNEP-WCMC (with FAO, CI, NASA-NGO Conservation Working Group and USDA-FS)
Fragmentation of river systems
WRI
Incidence of human-induced ecosystem failure
(see notes)
SCBD to assemble available information for later consideration
SCBD/UNEP-WCMC
Health and well-being of communities who depend directly on local ecosystem goods and services [15]/
To be identified
Biodiversity for food and medicine
FAO, IPGRI, WHO and others
Status and trends of linguistic diversity and numbers of speakers of indigenous languages
Under review
UNESCO World Atlas of Endangered Languages; Ethnologue: Languages of the World - Fifteenth Edition
UNESCO with UNEP-WCMC
(Smithsonian Institution requested to explore possible application of Red List methodology)
Other indicator of the status of indigenous and traditional knowledge
To be considered by the Working Group on Article 8(j) (possibly including land-tenure of indigenous and local communities)
Indicator of access and benefit-sharing
To be considered by the Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing
Official development assistance provided in support of the Convention
Official development assistance as marked
Donor countries encouraged to mark data
OECD (OECD is working on this for a trial period)
Indicator of technology transfer
Countries invited to submit information. The Expert Group on Technology Transfer may wish to consider this matter.
Annex II
Goals and targets
Relevant headline indicators
Protect the components of biodiversity
Goal 1. Promote the conservation of the biological diversity of ecosystems, habitats and biomes
Target 1.1: At least 10% of each of the world's ecological regions effectively conserved.
Most relevant indicator:
Other relevant indicators:
Trends in extent of selected biomes, ecosystems and habitats
Target 1.2: Areas of particular importance to biodiversity protected
Relevant indicators:
Goal 2. Promote the conservation of species diversity
Target 2.1: Restore, maintain, or reduce the decline of populations of species of selected taxonomic groups.
Other relevant indicator:
Target 2.2: Status of threatened species improved.
Goal 3. Promote the conservation of genetic diversity
Target 3.1: Genetic diversity of crops, livestock, and of harvested species of trees, fish and wildlife and other valuable species conserved, and associated indigenous and local knowledge maintained.
Trends in genetic diversity of domesticated animals, cultivated plants, and fish species of major socio-economic importance
Biodiversity used in food and medicine (indicator under development)
Promote sustainable use.
Goal 4. Promote sustainable use and consumption
Target 4.1: Biodiversity-based products derived from sources that are sustainably managed, and Production areas managed consistent with the conservation of biodiversity.
Most relevant indicators:
Area of forest, agricultural and aquaculture ecosystems under sustainable management
Proportion of products derived from sustainable sources (indicator under development)
Marine trophic index
Water quality in aquatic ecosystems
Target 4.2 Unsustainable consumption, of biological resources, or that impacts upon biodiversity, reduced.
Relevant indicator:
Ecological footprint and related concepts (indicator under development)
Target 4.3: No species of wild flora or fauna endangered by international trade.
Address threats to biodiversity.
Goal 5. Pressures from habitat loss, land use change and degradation, and unsustainable water use, reduced.
Target 5.1: Rate of loss and degradation of natural habitats decreased.
Goal 6. Control threats from invasive alien species
Target 6.1: Pathways for major potential alien invasive species controlled.
Trends in invasive alien species
Target 6. 2: Management plans in place for major alien species that threaten ecosystems, habitats or species.
Goal 7. Address challenges to biodiversity from climate change, and pollution
Target 7.1: Maintain and enhance resilience of the components of biodiversity to adapt to climate change.
Connectivity/fragmentation of ecosystems
Target 7.2: Reduce pollution and its impacts on biodiversity.
Goal 8. Maintain capacity of ecosystems to deliver goods and services and support livelihoods
Target 8.1: Capacity of ecosystems to deliver goods and services maintained.
Target 8.2: biological resources that support sustainable livelihoods, local food security and health care, especially of poor people maintained.
Health and well-being of communities who depend directly on local ecosystem goods and services
Biodiversity used in food and medicine
Goal 9 Maintain socio-cultural diversity of indigenous and local communities
Target 9.1 Protect traditional knowledge, innovations and practices.
Additional indicators to be developed
Target 9.2: Protect the rights of indigenous and local communities over their traditional knowledge, innovations and practices, including their rights to benefit-sharing.
Indicator to be developed
Goal 10. Ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of genetic resources
Target 10.1: All transfers of genetic resources are in line with the Convention on Biological Diversity, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and other applicable agreements.
Target 10.2: Benefits arising from the commercial and other utilization of genetic resources shared with the countries providing such resources.
Goal 11: Parties have improved financial, human, scientific, technical and technological capacity to implement the Convention
Target 11.1: New and additional financial resources are transferred to developing country Parties, to allow for the effective implementation of their commitments under the Convention, in accordance with Article 20.
Target 11.2: Technology is transferred to developing country Parties, to allow for the effective implementation of their commitments under the Convention, in accordance with its Article 20, paragraph.
Annex III
AHTEG Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group
BOD Biochemical oxygen demand
CBD Convention on Biological Diversity
CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
CI Conservation International
COP Conference of the Parties
CSA Canadian Standards Association
DADIS Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of FAO
EGTT Expert Group on Technology Transfer
EU-JRC Joint Research Centre of the European Union
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FRA Forest Resources Assessment of FAO
FSC Forest Stewardship Council
GBO Global Biodiversity Outlook
GCRMN Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network
GEMS Global Environment Monitoring System of UNEP
GISIN Global Invasive Species Information Network
GISP Global Invasive Species Programme
ICSU International Council for Science
IGBP International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme
INI International Nitrogen Initiative: a Joint Programme of SCOPE and IGBP
IPGRI International Plant Genetic Resources Institute
ISO International Organization for Standardization
IUCN The World Conservation Union
LADA Land Degradation Assessment in Drylands, a project of FAO
LEI Lembaga Ekolabeling Institute
LPI Living Planet Index
MA Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
MBC Meso-American Biological Corridor
MSC Marine Stewardship Council
NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NGO non-governmental organization
ODA official development assistance
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
PEEN Pan-European Ecological Network
PEFC Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes
PGRFA plant genetic resources for food and agriculture
REFORGEN The FAO Global Information System on Forest Genetic Resources
RLI Red List Index
SBSTTA Subsidiary Body on Scientific Technical and Technological Advice
SCBD Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
SCOPE ICSU Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment
SFI Sustainable Forestry Initiative
SINGER System-wide Information Network for Genetic Resources (for CGIAR)
SOW1 first report on the State of the World's Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. FAO, Rome 1997.
SSC Species Survival Commission of IUCN
TNC The Nature Conservancy
UBC University of British Columbia
UNEP United Nations Environment Programme
UNEP-WCMC World Conservation Monitoring Centre of UNEP
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
USDA United States Department of Agriculture
WCPA World Commission on Protected Areas of IUCN
WHO World Health Organization
WIEWS World Information and Early Warning System on PGRFA
WRI World Resources Institute
WWF World Wide Fund for Nature
WWF-US World Wildlife Fund United States
[9]/ SBSTTA recommends a rewording of the title of this indicator from that contained in decision VII/30 (Numbers and cost of alien invasions).
[10]/ Bold = Indicator considered ready for immediate testing and use (column B in decision VII/30); Bold italic = Indicator considered ready for immediate testing and use and therefore recommended for upgrading from column C to column B; Regular = Indicator confirmed as requiring more work (to remain in column C)
[11]/ B = Indicator is considered ready for immediate testing and use; C = Indicator requires further work
[12]/ Based on current and short-term future availability of trend information, the following major ecosystem types are recommended for immediate indicator implementation: (i) forests (including different forest types, notably mangroves), (ii) peatlands (probably for certain geographic areas only by 2010), (iii) coral reefs, (iv) croplands, (v) grasslands/savannahs, (vi) polar/ice. Efforts should also be made to apply the indicator to the following ecosystem types, for which suitable global datasets need to be gathered, to ensure coverage of all thematic areas recognized by the Convention: (i) inland wetlands, (ii) tidal flats/estuaries, (iii) seagrass beds, (iv) dry and sub-humid lands, and (v) urban.
[13]/ New indicator recommended by SBSTTA at its tenth meeting.
[14]/ SBSTTA recommends a rewording of the title of this indicator from that contained in decision VII/30 (Numbers and cost of alien invasions).
[15]/ The indicator from decision VII/30 (Health and well-being of people living in biodiversity-based-resource dependent communities) was reworded to clarify the focus on local dependency.
