In 2018, the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) urged Parties and encouraged other governments to consider undertaking national assessments of biodiversity and ecosystem services. In preparation for the 24th meeting of the CBD’s Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA), UNEP-WCMC published an information document on national ecosystem assessments to highlight their initial impact in supporting the CBD and its protocols.
This information document introduces readers to the national ecosystem assessment process and highlights how it can support the consideration of nature’s values in decision-making. The document also showcases the work of 8 countries currently undertaking national ecosystem assessments under UNEP-WCMC’s National Ecosystem Assessment Initiative. Importantly, it outlines examples of initial impact in support of CBD implementation across six thematic areas: (1) Biodiversity planning; (2) National reporting; (3) Technical & scientific cooperation; (4) Capacity development; (5) Communication, education and public awareness; and (6) Resource mobilisation.
Through its National Ecosystem Assessment Initiative, UNEP-WCMC is working in partnership with UNDP and UNESCO to support countries around the world undertaking ecosystem assessments. Under the umbrella of UNDP’s Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services Network (BES-Net), the National Ecosystem Assessment Initiative is developing national capacities and building a community of practice around biodiversity and ecosystem services.
CBD Parties, observers, and other stakeholders interested in learning more about national ecosystem assessments can contact UNEP-WCMC’s dedicated team for more information: assessment@unep-wcmc.org
This work is carried out with support from the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of the Federal Republic of Germany.