Biodiversity Monitoring and Indicators
> 10 October 07
Kyiv commitment
By 2008, a coherent European programme on biodiversity monitoring and reporting, facilitated by the European Biodiversity Monitoring and Indicator Framework, will be operational in the pan-European region, in support of nature and biodiversity policies, including by 2006 an agreed core set of biodiversity indicators developed with the active participation of the relevant stakeholders.
Assessment
In early 2004, sets of headline biodiversity indicators were agreed at global (CBD), pan-European and EU levels. From mid-2004 activities have been integrated into the joint pan-European/EU initiative Streamlining European 2010 Biodiversity Indicators (SEBI 2010). SEBI 2010 integrates the previous activities under the European Biodiversity Monitoring and Indicator Framework as referred to in the Kyiv Resolution. This ongoing process has already highlighted areas with major data gaps (e.g. invasive alien species, genetic diversity, the impact of climate change on biodiversity and adaptation links, sustainable use, governance and communication).
The first phase of work in SEBI 2010 was concluded in mid-2007 with a proposed set of 26 indicators (see Annex 5). SEBI 2010 now enters Phase 2 (2007–2008) where the focus will be on establishing dataflows, linkages between the indicators, climate change, communications and the production of an indicator-based assessment on Europe’s progress towards 2010. While the aim of the SEBI 2010 process was to build on existing work and not start new monitoring schemes, SEBI 2010 noted the lack of investment in coherent Europe-wide biodiversity monitoring.
The EC is committed to report annually on progress in implementation of the Biodiversity Action Plan and whether these actions are helping to achieve the 2010 biodiversity target. Therefore the SEBI 2010 indicator set, whose main focus is on pressure, state and impact, will need to be complemented with additional indicators on drivers and pressures. Already in some policy areas there is a clear lack of biodiversity indicators, such as soil biodiversity, impact of chemicals, flood, trade in biodiversity, financing for biodiversity and biodiversity partnerships.
In parallel with SEBI 2010, the Countdown 2010 is monitoring national policy actions by pan-European countries to achieve the 2010 target. It is expected that a survey of actions by all pan-European countries will be presented at the CBD’s COP 9 in May 2008.
Some of the challenges faced when selecting and using a pan-European indicator set are geographical coverage (different countries have different obligations related to data and reporting); cost of indicator production (and related to this, costs of basic monitoring) and data availability (for biodiversity, important datasets are not only government held, but also depend on NGOs and volunteers).
About this page
This document is part of the Countdown 2010 Readiness Assessment 2007. Download the entire study in English or Russian or read the chapters online.
Pan-European Progress Towards Achieving the 2010 Biodiversity Target
Introduction
Forests and Biodiversity
Agriculture and Biodiversity
The Pan-European Ecological Network
Invasive Alien Species
Financing Biodiversity
Biodiversity Monitoring and Indicators
Public Participation and Awareness
Additional Challenges
Annex 1: Status and trends of 2010 indicators
Annex 2: C2010 Readiness Assessment Questionnaire
Annex 3: Online Survey on the 2010 Biodiversity Target
Annex 4: Recommendations for high nature value farmland
Annex 5: SEBI2010 Indicators
