Resource

Guidance for national biodiversity indicator development and use

Author/Contact:

Anna Chenery

Senior Programme Officer

Anna.Chenery@unep-wcmc.org

Publication date:

Resource description:

Indicators can be defined as a measure based on verifiable data that conveys information about more than itself. Biodiversity indicators are a central part of effective decision-making and adaptive measurement. This guidance document produced with the support of the Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP), responds to a mandate in the 2010 CBD Decision on Outcome-Orientated Goals and Targets (Decision X/7) to support 'national and regional efforts to establish or strengthen biodiversity monitoring and reporting systems to enable Parties to set their own targets and assess progress towards biodiversity targets established at national and/or regional level'.

Requirements:

  • Biodiversity indicator development requires a range of skills: a science-based understanding of the biodiversity issue of interest
  • understanding the scientific and statistical strengths and weaknesses of the data being used
  • a basic competency in the processing of data to produce graphs and maps with a scientific and statistical validity

Advantages:

  • This guidance focuses on the process aspects of producing and using indicators.It presents a step-by-step guide based around the Biodiversity Indicators Development Framework.
  • It can be used to develop indicators for long-term reporting and decision-making, as well as on a one-off basis to meet the needs of a particular study or report.
  • The ideas and experience reported in this guidance have been developed and tested in capacity building workshops for national government and NGOs from over 65 countries around the world.

Constraints:

  • Since indicators are purpose-dependent, the interpretation or meaning given to the data depends on the purpose or issue of concern. Therefore it is important that indicator development or selection starts with identifying the issue or decision-making need

Additional information:

Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (2011) Guidance for national biodiversity indicator development and use. UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK. 40pp

The publication includes national indicator examples and quotations from national indicator practitioners.

Case study examples of the utilisation of this guidance document and notably the Biodiversity Indicator development Framework it introduces, are captured in the complimentary publication, ‘Biodiversity Indicators capacity Strengthening: experiences from Africa. Progress, lessons learnt and needs for future indicator development’. The publication, available online, captures examples of good practices and challenges from thirteen countries from the eastern and southern Africa regions

http://www.bipindicators.net/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=CpKtMXtb11A%3d&tabid=429

Licence:

  • Free, no licence

Development stage:

  • Full, working product