B iodiversity O bservation N etwork

1. Biodiversity Observation Network GEO BON: Addressing the observation needs of the UN Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 Anne Larigauderie, ED DIVERSITAS With: G Geller (NASA), M Walters (CSIR), M Walpole (UNEP-WCMC) & other SC-GEO BON Colleagues

2. Outline • The policycontext for biodiversity • The GEO BON initiative You are invited to Session B2 tomorrow 9:00

3. Convention on BiologicalDiversity (CBD) • 3 main goals 1- Conservation of biological diversity; 2- Sustainable use of its components; and 3- Fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources • Definition: "Biological diversity" means the variability among living organisms from all sources including 1- terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems 2- diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.

4. Biodiversitywithin the MDGs 1- Eradicateextremepoverty and hunger 2- Achieveuniversalprimaryeducation 3- Promotegenderequality 4- Reducechildmortality 5- Improvematernalhealth 6- Combat HIV:AIDS, malaria & otherdiseases 7- Ensureenvironmentalsustainability Target 7B: CBD 2010 target (WSSD, 2002): 8- Develop a global partnership for development

5. MDG Goal 7: Ensureenvironmentalsustainability • Target 7a: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources • Target 7b: Reduce biodiversity loss, achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss • Target 7c: Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation • Target 7d: Achieve significant improvement in lives of at least 100 million slumdwellers, by 2020 NB: Crosscuttingall otherMDGs

6. The 2010 Biodiversity Target • “To achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current 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” • Adopted at CBD COP6 (2002) • Endorsed by WSSD and UNGA (2002) • Incorporated as a new target within MDG7 in 2002

7. Global Biodiversity Outlook-3 (CBD) • The information behind GBO-3: • 110 National Reports • Biodiversity Indicators Partnership • Biodiversity Futures Study • 500 scientific papers • Open review process

8. Biodiversity Scenarios (GBO-3) A synthesis and assessment of projections of 21st century changes in biodiversity and associated ecosystem services based on an analysis of a broad range of existing models, experiments and observations Pereira H, Leadley P et al. Scenarios of global biodiversity in the 21st century. Science, 26 Oct 2010

9. Trends shown by agreedindicators of progresstowards the 2010 biodiversitytarget:

10. Trends shown by agreedindicators of progresstowards the 2010 biodiversitytarget: 1)10 out of 15 indicatorsshowedunfavorable trends for biodiversity 2) Pb withamount and coverage of data

11. The 2010 Target: « to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss » has not been met CBD-COP10, Nagoya, Japan (Nov 2010)

12. Post 2010: Lessonslearned

13. The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020: 5 strategic goals … Agreed at cop-10, Nagoya, October 2010 • Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society • Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use. • Improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity • Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services • Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building

14. …and 20 targets for 2020 SG A-Underlying causes of biodiversity loss (mainstreaming bd) • Target 1: by 2020, people are aware of the values of bd and the steps they can take to conserve and use it sustainably; • Target 2: by 2020, biodiversity values have been integrated into national and local development and poverty reductions strategies … • Target 3: by 2020, incentives harmful to biodiversity are eliminated … SG D-Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity & ecosystem services • Target 14: by 2020, ecosystems that provide essential services (including services related to water, health, livelihood and well-being) are restored and safeguarded

15. Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-20: the wayforward For each one of the 20 Targets: • 1- Defineindicator(s) BIP: BiodiversityIndicatorPartnership • 2- Catalyse collection of observations GEO BON

16. GEO BON & CBD • Decision X/7 CBD-COP10 (Nagoya, 2010) Requests the Executive Secretary to invite GEO BON, (…) to prepare an evaluation of existing observation capabilities relevant to the targets contained in the Strategic Plan for the period 2010-2020. • In response GEO BON produced: • Adequacy of biodiversity observation systems to support the CBD 2020 targets Dr Braulio Dias

17. Outline • The policycontext for biodiversity • The GEO BON initiative

18. GEO BON: the SBA on biodiversity of GEOSS

19. Many Sources and Systems But lack of coordination • Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) • UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) • ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) • International Union of Conservation (IUCN) • NASA, JAXA, ERSDAC, ESA, IRSO, INPE… • BirdLife International • Census of Marine Life (CoML) • NatureServe • Wetlands International • World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) • Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Smithsonian Institute (SI) Conservation International (CI) National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) Huge volumes of stored data… But access can be difficult Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning (MARBEF) World Resources Institute (WRI) Centro de ReferênciaemInformaçãoAmbiental (CRIA) Earthwatch National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) Inadequate tools BIOTA Africa United States Geological Survey Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) The Nature Conservancy (TNC) United States Fish and Wildlife Service

20. A briefhistory • 2005: Establishment of GEOSS • Biodiversity is one of 9 “Societal Benefit Areas” • 2006 Oct: First International Workshop (Geneva, CH) • Jan 2008: GEO BON Steering Committee formed (Geneva, CH) • Apr 2008: 2nd International workshop (Potsdam, Germany) • Produce GEO BON concept document • Feb 2010: 3rd International workshop (Asilomar, California, USA) • GEO BON secretariat opens (CSIR, S-Africa) • 22 May 2010: • Launch of GEO BON implementation plan (version 1.0) • Nov 2011: • Adequacy of biodiversity observation systems to support the CBD 2020 targets (CBD/SBSTTA15/INF/8)

21. Biodiversity Observation Network Vision An integrated global observing system that: • gathers and shares information on biodiversity, • provides tools for data integration and analysis, and • contributes to improving environmental management and human well-being.

22. Whatdoes GEO BON do? GEO BON adds value to the many on-going activities by: • Providing a global, scientifically robust framework for observations on the detection of biodiversity change • Coordinating some of the data gathering and the delivery of information • Ensuring long term continuity of data supply (operational observations) • Providing a set of innovative and relevant globalproducts

23. The GEO BON community of practice Countries Organisations These networkmembers are independent but linked and coordinated

24. For the CBD: Adequacy report (1) • Organized around the 20 targets for 2020 • For each target • Key concepts • Indicators (sources, organizations, spatial and temporal coverage) • Gaps and data limitations • Adequacy assessment • Estimated costs

25. Target 11 – Protected areas

26. Target 14 – Ecosystem services

27. For the CBD: EBVs (2) • SBSTTA 15/2, para 6 : (k)Invites GEO BON to continue its work on the identification of Essential Biodiversity Variables and the development of associated data sets as presented in CBD/SBSTTA/15/INF/8 and report to a future meeting of SBSTTA.

28. Essential Biodiversity Variables • A relatively small number of essential variables (16-18) are necessary to derive the CBD operational indicators (>100) for the 20 targets • Each essential variable talks to multiple indicators and targets and many indicators and targets are informed by multiple essential variables • Focus on primary measurements

29. Biodiversity Observation Network IPBES Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services GEO BON flagged as the observing system in charge of orchestrating the delivery of observations necessary to implement the IPBES programme of work

30. Biodiversity science-policy landscape Assessment (IPBES) Research Policy (CBD) Observations (GEO BON)

31. In conclusion: some challenges • Many positive developments re GEO BON • Clear niche in science-policy interface • Recognition by & collaboration with key partners (CBD, IPBES) • Strong agenda (Implementation plan, adequacy report, EBVs) • Interest of many individuals and organisations • But some major challenges • Lack of engagement/recognition at national level • Proper institutional arrangements (Sec/funding)

32. THANK YOU! anne@diversitas-international.org

33. The Red List Index (IUCN) measures extinction risk • The Red List Index (RLI) for all these species groups is decreasing. • Coral species are moving most rapidly towards greater extinction risk • Amphibians are, on average, the group most threatened. Source: IUCN

34. Projections of species extinctions Golden toad, Costa Rica, extinct since 1989 See Pounds et al. 2006 Nature Photo: P. Leadley Pereira, Leadley et al. 2010

35. DISTRIBUTION of TIPPING POINTS (GBO-3)

36. Some efforts to quantify Target 5 By 2020, the rate of loss of all natural habitats, including forests, is at least halved, and where feasible brought to zero… Target 11 By 2020, at least 17% of terrestrial and inland water, and 10% of coastal and marine areas are conserved…

37. Target 12 – Prevented extinction of threatened species