National Ecosystem Assessments

The Supporting Implementation of the CBD through National Ecosystem Assessments (NEAs) project was initiated in January 2019 and closed in April 2022. This JBF-supported project was designed in response to capacity-building needs identified at the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) workshop on regional assessments and land degradation and restoration, which was held in Montreal, Canada prior to the twenty-second meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-22). 

This UNEP-WCMC-led project aimed to build capacity for countries to undertake NEAs, to use their findings, and to draw on relevant IPBES products (e.g., regional assessments) in supporting delivery of CBD-related commitments at the national level. The project took into consideration case studies and lessons learned across the globe, focusing particularly on the Asia-Pacific region. The project and its outputs have been referred to in the information document on IPBES prepared for SBSTTA-24. 

In 2019, 2 sub-regional science-policy dialogues were organized, and an online survey was conducted in the South Asia and East Asia regions. A guidance document, National Ecosystem Assessments for the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, largely based on the dialogues and the survey, was published in 2021 and has been translated into the 6 official UN languages. The guidance document covers 6 key areas (biodiversity planning; national reporting; technical and scientific cooperation; capacity building; increasing communication, education, and public awareness; and resource mobilization) in which NEAs can support the implementation of the CBD at the national level, key challenges for each element, and how NEAs can help to address these challenges. The document also showcases examples and case studies from various countries. 

A webinar to launch the guidance document was held on 23 November 2021.