Side Event
Assessing Progress Toward 2010: Targets + Indicators
Organizer
SCBD/UNEP-WCMC
Date and Time
10 February 2004 13:15 - 14:45
<br>At its sixth meeting, the Conference of the Parties adopted a Strategic Plan, including the target to achieve, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional, and national level, as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on earth. This target was endorsed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, 2002. The Strategic Plan specified that better methods should be developed to objectively evaluate progress in the implementation of the Convention and the Strategic Plan. <br><br>Recently, The Convention’s, scientific advisory body SBSTTA, has recommended the establishment of a number of “sub-targets” to the overall biodiversity target of achieving the 2010 biodiversity target. SBSTTA also proposed the establishment of a trial set of global indicators of biodiversity. <br><br> SBSTTA identified five indicators for immediate use:<br> <li>Extent of natural habitats</li> <li>Abundance and distribution of species</li> <li>Change in status of threatened species</li> <li>Genetic diversity of species of major socio-economic importance</li> <li>Coverage of Protected areas.</li> <br>SBSTTA also recommended the development of global indicators on threats to biodiversity, ecosystem goods and services and benefit sharing. Potential Global Indicators for this second group those for: <li>Criteria and indicators for sustainable management</li> <li>Biodiversity used in food and medicine </li> <li>Water quality in aquatic ecosystems </li> <li>Trophic integrity of </li> <li>Nitrogen deposition </li> <li>Numbers and cost of alien invasions</li> <br>These targets and indicators will be examined in the side event. Presentations will be made by representatives of key Parties, international organizations and the Secretariat.