Developing the UK Biodiversity Indicators James Williams Indicators

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Developing the UK Biodiversity Indicators
James WilliamsIndicators Reporting
Manager,Joint Nature Conservation
Committee,Monkstone House, City Road,
Peterborough, PE1 1JY. United Kingdom.James.Wil
liams_at_jncc.gov.uk44 (0)1733 86 68
68www.jncc.gov.uk/biyp
June 2013
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Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020

• Framework for all Conventions and stakeholders.
• Vision Living in harmony with nature. By 2050,
  biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored and
  wisely used, maintaining ecosystem services,
  sustaining a healthy planet and delivering
  benefits essential for all people.
• Mission Take effective and urgent action to halt
  the loss of biodiversity in order to ensure that
  by 2020 ecosystems are resilient and continue to
  provide essential services, thereby securing the
  planets variety of life, and contributing to
  human well-being, and poverty eradication
• 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets under 5 Strategic
  Goals

http//www.cbd.int/sp/targets/
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Strategic Plan Goals Targets
A mainstreaming Targets on awareness,
values/accounting, incentives, mainstreaming
sustainable use B pressures Targets on habitat
loss, fisheries, sustainable land use, pollution,
invasive aliens, climate change
impacts C safeguarding Targets on protected
areas, threatened species, domesticated species
and wild relatives D benefits Targets on
ecosystem services, restoration, access to
genetic resources E knowledge and
capacity Targets on NBSAPs, local communities,
science base, resources http//www.cbd.int/sp/targ
ets/
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UK indicators post-2010

• 2010/11 UK biodiversity indicators reviewed
• gap analysis data quality check
• all of the indicators can be re-used, albeit with
  some requiring modification
• some new indicators will need to be developed to
  fill gaps

• 2012 new framework implemented
• interim set of 24 indicators (35 measures)
  published May 2012
• assigned existing indicators to specific goals
  and targets
• some may be relevant to multiple targets / goals
• work begun to adjust the UK biodiversity
  indicator suite, and to create new indicators to
  fill the gaps identified in the review

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The Strategic Plan and the UK biodiversity
indicators

• Each indicator is assigned to a Strategic Goal
• e.g. indicators with the prefix A are
  considered to be of most direct relevance to Goal
  A.
• Each indicator is mapped against target(s) as
  primary indicator(s), or as other relevant
  indicator(s).
• e.g. Target 4 is represented by 3 primary
  indicators (A3, A4, B3), and 3 other relevant
  indicators (B1, B2, D1)
• Primary indicators are most closely linked to a
  target
• Other relevant indicators have less strong
  links but still relevant
• Indicators may also be of relevance to targets
  within other goals
• e.g. Indicator E2 is a primary indicator for
  Target 20 in Goal E, but is also an other
  relevant indicator for Targets 2 and 3 in Goal A.

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Strategic Goal A mainstreaming
Targets on awareness, values/accounting,
incentives, mainstreaming sustainable use
Under development A1 Awareness, understanding
support A3 Value of biodiversity integrated into
decision making A4 Global impact
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Strategic Goal B pressures
Targets on habitat loss, fisheries, sustainable
land use, pollution, invasive aliens, climate
change
Under development B3 Integration of biodiversity
into business activity B4 Climate change
adaptation B7 Water quality
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Strategic Goal C safeguarding
Targets on protected areas, threatened species,
domesticated species and wild relatives
Under development C2 Habitat connectivity C3
Threatened habitats C4 Threatened species C9
Plant genetic resources
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Strategic Goal D benefits
Targets on ecosystem services, restoration,
access to genetic resources
Under development D2 Ecosystem Services
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Strategic Goal E knowledge and capacity
Targets on NBSAPs, local communities, science
base, resources
Under development E1 Biodiversity data for
decision making
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Mapping the UK biodiversity indicators to the
Aichi Targets

• Comparison of UK indicators with global-level
  indicators developed by the CBD demonstrates a
  fairly good fit.
• At present, no indicators have been identified
  for Targets 16, 17 and 18.
• Target 16 is about the Nagoya protocol on access
  and benefits sharing it would be premature to
  develop an indicator until how this is going to
  work is resolved
• Target 17 is about National Biodiversity Strategy
  and Action Plan (NBSAP) effectively this is a
  yes/no response at a national level, so is
  suitable for a global indicator, but not a
  national one
• Target 18 is about indigenous communities less
  relevant for UK

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Using the UK indicators

• UK biodiversity indicators anticipated to form a
  major part of the UKs 5th CBD national report
• Need to analyse progress for each Aichi target
• Likely to need to integrate messages from
  different indicators
• Other data sources and information also likely to
  be necessary
• Some parts of some targets may not be covered

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UK Biodiversity Indicators governance
implementation
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Choosing Indicators

• Each indicator should have the following
  characteristics
• Policy relevant and meaningful
• Biodiversity relevant
• Scientifically sound and methodologically well
  founded
• Show progress towards the 2020 targets
• Easy to understand
• Based on affordable monitoring, available and
  routinely collected data
• Amenable to modelling of cause-effect
  relationships
• Good spatial and temporal coverage of data
• Applicable at a national scale
• Aggregation possible at a range of scales
• Sensitive to change
• The set as a whole should be
• Representative
• Limited in number

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• Questions?

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CBD 5th National Report

• Reports due to be submitted end March 2014
• Part I An update on biodiversity status,
  trends, and threats and implications for human
  well-being
• Key information State of biodiversity reports
  (e.g. birds, butterflies, )
• Part II The National Biodiversity Strategy and
  Action Plan (NBSAP), its implementation, and the
  mainstreaming of biodiversity
• Key information Biodiversity and Environment
  Strategies.

http//www.cbd.int/nr5/
http//www.cbd.int/nr5/
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5th National Report

• Part III Progress towards the 2015 and 2020
  Aichi Biodiversity Targets and contributions to
  the relevant 2015 Targets of the Millennium
  Development Goals
• Key information biodiversity indicators
• Appendices on thematic Programmes of Work
  cross-cutting issues
• Yet to decide what to include

http//www.cbd.int/nr5/
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Individual indicators can contribute to the
assessment of multiple targets (or goals)
Flexible framework do not need to have the same
indicator at each scale
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Framework from AHTEG
Why are we losing biodiversity?
What do we do about biodiversity loss?
How is the status of biodiversity changing?
What are the implications of biodiversity loss?
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Strategic Goal A
Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society
Target 1. By 2020, at the latest, people are aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve and use it sustainably. 
Target 2 By 2020, at the latest, the biodiversity values have been integrated into national and local development and poverty reduction strategies and planning processes and are being incorporated into national accounting, as appropriate, and reporting systems.
Target 3 By 2020, at the latest, incentives, including subsidies, harmful to biodiversity are eliminated, phased out or reformed in order to minimize or avoid negative impacts, and positive incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity are developed and applied, consistent and in harmony with the Convention and other relevant international obligations , taking into account national socio-economic conditions.
Target 4 By 2020, at the latest, Governments, business and stakeholders at all levels have taken steps to achieve or have implemented plans for sustainable production and consumption and have kept the impacts of use of natural resources well within safe ecological limits.
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Strategic Goal B
Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use
Target 5 By 2020, the rate of loss and degradation, and fragmentation, of natural habitats, including forests, is at least halved and where feasible brought close to zero, and degradation and fragmentation is significantly reduced.
Target 6 By 2020, all fish and invertebrate stocks and aquatic plants are managed and harvested sustainably, legally and applying ecosystem based approaches, so that overfishing is avoided, recovery plans and measures are in place for all depleted species, fisheries have no significant adverse impact on threatened species and vulnerable ecosystems and the impacts of fisheries on stocks, species and ecosystems are within safe ecological limits.
Target 7 By 2020 areas under agriculture, aquaculture and forestry are managed sustainably, ensuring conservation of biodiversity.
Target 8 By 2020, pollution, including from excess nutrients, has been brought to levels that are not detrimental to ecosystem function and biodiversity.
Target 9 By 2020, invasive alien species and pathways are identified and prioritized, priority species are controlled or eradicated and measures are in place to manage pathways to prevent their introduction and establishment of invasive alien species.
Target 10  By 2015, the multiple anthropogenic pressures on coral reefs, and other vulnerable ecosystems impacted by climate change or ocean acidification are minimized, so as to maintain their integrity and functioning.
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Strategic Goal C
To improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity
Target 11 By 2020, at least 17 of terrestrial and inland water and 10 of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscape and seascape.
Target 12 By 2020, the extinction of known threatened species has been prevented and their conservation status, particularly of those most in decline, has been improved and sustained.
Target 13 By 2020, the genetic diversity of cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and wild relatives, including other socio-economically as well as culturally valuable species is maintained, and strategies have been developed and implemented for minimizing genetic erosion and safeguarding their genetic diversity.
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Strategic Goal D
Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystems
Target 14 By 2020, ecosystems that provide essential services, including services related to water, and contribute to health, livelihoods and well-being, are restored and safeguarded, , taking into account the needs of women, indigenous and local communities and the poor and vulnerable.
Target 15 By 2020, ecosystem resilience and the contribution of biodiversity to carbon stocks has been enhanced, through conservation and restoration, including restoration of at least 15 of degraded ecosystems, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation and to combating desertification.
Target 16 By 2015, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization is in force and operational, consistent with national legislation.
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Strategic Goal E
Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building
Target 17 By 2015, each Party has developed, adopted as a policy instrument, and has commenced implemented, an effective, participatory and updated national biodiversity strategy and action plan.
Target 18 By 2020, the traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities that are relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and their customary use of biological resources, are respected, subject to national legislation and relevant international obligations, and fully integrated and reflected in the in the implementation of the Convention with the full and effective participation of indigenous and local communities, at all relevant levels.
Target 19 By 2020, knowledge, the science base and technologies relating to biodiversity, its values, functioning, status and trends, and the consequences of its loss, are improved, widely shared and transferred, and applied.
Target 20 By 2020, at the latest, the mobilisation of financial resources for effectively implementing the Strategic Plan 2011-2020 from all sources and in accordance with the consolidated and agreed process in the Strategy for Resource Mobilisation should increase substantially from the current levels.
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Choosing Indicators (1)

• Policy relevant and meaningful Each indicator
  should be policy relevant. It should send a
  clear message at a level appropriate for policy
  and management decision making. It should be
  meaningful on a regional level.
• Biodiversity relevant Each indicator should be
  relevant for biodiversity.
• Scientifically sound and methodologically well
  founded A clear description of the methodology
  used should be available as the indicator may be
  used in other indicator initiatives also.
• Progress towards target Each indicator should
  show progress towards the 2020 targets.
• Broad acceptance and understandability Each
  indicator should be easy to understand and to
  document.

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Choosing Indicators (2)

• Affordable monitoring, available and routinely
  collected data Each indicator should be able to
  be updated regularly.
• Affordable modelling Information on cause-effect
  relationships should be achievable and
  quantifiable.
• Spatial and temporal coverage of data the data
  should be consistent in space and cover all or
  most of select spatial resolution. The temporal
  coverage of data should be as long as possible,
  and relevant to the timescale for policy making.
• National scale and representativeness of data
  Each indicator should apply to the national and
  relevant supra-national.
• Sensitive Each indicator should be able to
  detect changes in systems in timeframes and on
  the scales that are relevant to policy decisions,
  but also be robust so that measuring errors do
  not affect their interpretation.

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Traffic Light Assessments

• Two assessment periods for each indicator
• Long-term assessment of change since the
  earliest date for which data are available
• If data do not precede 1996 a long term
  assessment is not made
• Short-term - assessment of change since 2000
• Assessment of trend, not distance to target

Improving
Little or no overall change
Deteriorating
Insufficient or no comparable data
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2012 results