Resource description:
According to a major new report by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), more than 3,500 out of the 37,000 alien species that have been introduced by many human activities to regions and biomes around the world pose major global threats to nature, economy, food security and human health. Invasive alien species (IAS) play a key role in 60% of global plant and animal extinctions, and cost humanity more than $400 billion a year – an amount that has quadrupled every decade since 1970. With the increased movement of people and goods brought about by globalization, environmental degradation and climate change, the number of invasive alien species and their impacts are projected to increase in the future.
Background
Often described as the ‘IPCC for Biodiversity’, IPBES is the global science-policy body tasked with providing the best-available evidence to decision-makers, for nature and people. The European Union is a major donor of IPBES, with a total budget of € 9 million of direct contribution.
The IAS report is the result of 4 years of analysis conducted by 86 scientists (from 49 countries and many different disciplines) supported by 200 contributing authors and drawing on more than 13,000 references. It is the very first global synthesis report gathering the best scientific knowledge on invasive alien species. It provides a scientifically-based overview of the issues at stake, look at current and future trends, and highlight possible response-management options for action – with the aim of informing decision-makers.
Author/Contact:
Roy, H. E., Pauchard, A., Stoett, P., Renard Truong, T., Bacher, S., Galil, B. S., Hulme, P. E., Ikeda, T., Sankaran, K., McGeoch, M. A., Meyerson, L. A., Nuñez, M. A., Ordonez, A., Rahlao, S. J., Schwindt, E., Seebens, H., Sheppard, A. W., & Vandvik, V. (2024). IPBES Invasive Alien Species Assessment: Summary for Policymakers (Version 3). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11254974