Refining the UK Biodiversity Indicators James Williams Joint Nature Conservation Committee Monkstone House, City Road, Peterborough, PE1 1JY. United Kingdom.

Refining the UK Biodiversity Indicators

James WilliamsJoint Nature Conservation Committee

Monkstone House, City Road, Peterborough, PE1 1JY. United Kingdom.

[email protected]+44 (0)1733 86 68 68www.jncc.gov.uk/biyp

UK Biodiversity Indicators – governance & implementation

Four Countries

Group

Defra, Devolved Administrations, JNCC

UK Biodiversity

Indicators SG

Advice

Decisions

Defra, Devolved Administrations, Country Agencies, JNCC, NGOs

Project Group

Advice

Decisions

Defra, JNCC

Biodiversity

Indicators ForumReview

Statutory and Non Governmental

Organisations, Academia

UK biodiversity indicators

• Focus on biodiversity outcomes• Mapped to CBD and EU frameworks• Link with sub-national indicators – e.g.

England, Scotland• Use existing data sources (avoid new

burdens)• Published annually since 2007• ‘Traffic Light’ assessment of trend• Communication tool• www.jncc.defra.gov.uk/biyp

Traffic light assessments

• Two assessment periods: • 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

Improving

Little or no overall change

Deteriorating

Insufficient or no comparable data

As published May 2011

UK Biodiversity Indicators

2011www.jncc.defra.gov.uk/biyp

Review

Revise & refresh to take account of• Aichi Targets• EU Biodiversity Strategy

Preliminary analysis to identify issuesA. Data quality assessment – is the data source robust,

reliable? Can we be certain of the trends?

B. Gap analysis – how well do existing indicators cover new reporting commitments?

Data quality assessment

1. Panel assessment

2. Assessment criteriaPrecision Time series availability; Data security; Data transparency; Transparency and soundness of methodology; Data verification; Frequency of updates; Geographic coverage; Capacity for disaggregation

Each criterion scored 1-3

3. Consultation and moderation

Data quality assessment - results

Most indicators based on high quality data sets

Six indicators where there are significant issues with data quality that may need to be addressed

– UK Priority species– UK Priority habitats– Genetic diversity– Invasive species– Habitat connectivity– Conservation volunteering

Reasons for low scores:

– Data security: genetic diversity, priority species/habitats and those indicators based on Countryside Survey.

– Data quality: modelled data; category data; estimates

Gap Analysis

• Mapped each of the existing indicators to the new 2020 ‘Aichi’ targets agreed at CBD CoP in October 2010

• Added information on emerging EU Biodiversity Targets and the SEBI indicators

• Added information on country biodiversity indicators

• Identified strength of match – tentative

• Moderated through UK Biodiversity Indicators Forum

• All of the existing biodiversity indicators can be mapped to one or more of the Aichi targets

• Gaps (of various sizes) have been identified in the following areas:– links with national accounting systems (target 2) – ecological footprint (target 4) – climate change (target 10, target 15) – ecosystem services (target 14) – access and benefits sharing (target 16) – traditional knowledge linked to sustainable use (target 18)

Gap Analysis - results

Mapping to Strategic Goals- preliminary analysisA mainstreaming

Targets on: awareness, values/accounting, incentives, sustainable consumption and production

B pressuresTargets on: habitat loss, fisheries, sustainable land use, pollution, invasive alien species, climate change impacts

C statusTargets on: protected areas, threatened species, genetic diversity of domesticated species and wild relatives

D benefitsTargets on: ecosystem services, restoration, access to genetic resources

E implementationTargets on: NBSAPs, traditional knowledge and local communities, science base, resources

http://www.cbd.int/sp/targets/

Development Areas / refinements

• Awareness, understanding and support for biodiversity conservation (Aichi Target 1);

• Status of ecosystem services and/or habitats and species supporting ecosystem services (Aichi Targets 14 &15);

• Habitat connectivity – options for updating existing indicators and/or alternative options (Aichi Target 5);

• Plant genetic resources (Aichi Target 13),• Climate Change Adaptation and impacts (Aichi Targets 8 & 9)

• Widespread species and habitats

• Habitat connectivity

• Water quality

• Invasive species

• Genetic diversity

Framework from AHTEG

Pressures and underlying causes

Indicators broadly related to Strategic Goals A and B

State Indicators broadly related

to Strategic Goal C

Responses

Indicators related to all Strategic Goals

Benefits Indicators broadly related

to Strategic Goal D

What do we do about biodiversity loss?

What are the implicationsof biodiversity loss?

Why are we losing biodiversity?

How is the status of biodiversity changing?

Individual indicators can contribute to assessment of multiple targets / goals

Headline indicator

Global indicator

Regional indicator

Regional indicator

National indicator

etc

Headline indicator

Global indicator

Global indicator

National indicator

National indicator

etc

Target 1 Target 2 Target 3

Regionaltargets

National targets

Headline indicator

Global indicator

Regional indicator

Regional indicator

National indicator

etc

Headline indicator

Global indicator

Global indicator

National indicator

National indicator

etc

Goal

CBD Strategic Goals

Candidate indicators Existing indicators (Refinements and gaps are identified where appropriate)

Link to Aichi targets

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Strategic Goal A. Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society

1. Awareness, understanding and support for biodiversity conservation

X

2. Taking action for nature Conservation volunteering 3. Value of biodiversity integrated into decision making

X

4. Global biodiversity impacts of UK economic activity/ sustainable consumption

X

Strategic Goal B. Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use

Integration of biodiversity into key production sectors: 5. Agriculture 6. Forestry; 7. Fisheries; (Planning?)

Extent of land under agri-environment schemes; Extent of land under sustainable forestry schemes; sustainable fisheries.

Pressures on biodiversity: 8. Climate change impacts

and adaptation, 9. Pollution; 10. Invasive species

Impact of climate change; needs refining to better represent impact. Extent of invasive species; needs refining to better reflect success of early intervention.

Provisional list of UK IndicatorsGoals A & B

Next Steps

• Continue to publish existing indicators annually

• Modify existing indicators as needed - some work to be done by JNCC and country conservation agencies

• Develop new indicators – 3 year programme of work under contract– Develop option papers– Agree preferred option through UK Steering Group– Develop protocols

• Map indicators against Framework Questions & Headline Indicators from AHTEG

• Forward look for presentation of information against new framework for next CBD report

5th & 6th National reports to CBD

• Indicators core to UK 4th National report to CBD

• Anticipate using again for 5th report (March 2014) and 6th

report (2018/9?)

• Present indicators by Target, and by Strategic Goals (A – E)

• Need to integrate messages from different indicators

20112007

Thank You

Questions?

Discussion

Provisional list of UK IndicatorsGoal C

CBD Strategic Goals

Candidate indicators Existing indicators (Refinements and gaps are identified where appropriate)

Link to Aichi targets

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Strategic Goal C. To improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity

11. Extent and condition of protected sites in the terrestrial, freshwater and marine environment

Extent and condition of protected sites

12. Ecological connectivity of [key sites] and habitats

Habitat connectivity; needs refinement to reflect size classes of protected sites, local sites and/or habitats; may need refinement to show status of species reliant on connected landscapes

13. Status of rare and threatened habitats

Status of priority habitats; needs to provide information on restoration and recreation if possible. The indicator is also likely to need to reflect the marine reporting requirements

14. Status of rare and threatened species

Status of priority species; needs refining so that it is based on a subset for which there are available data; Status of bats in the wider countryside. The indicator is also likely to need to reflect the marine reporting requirements.

15. Status of species in the wider countryside

Status of birds, bats, butterflies and plants; may need refining to combine with other data

16, Genetic diversity

Genetic diversity in native livestock breeds (at UK level only); will possibly need refinement to add crop component, subject to data availability.

CBD Strategic Goals

Candidate indicators Existing indicators (Refinements and gaps are identified where appropriate)

Link to Aichi targets

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Strategic Goal D: Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystems

17. Status of species and habitats providing essential services (e.g. carbon capture, pollination, water regulation and water quality public enjoyment);

Biological water quality; will need to reflect Water Framework Directive reporting.

Strategic Goal E. Enhance implementation through planning, knowledge managment and capacity building

18. Funding for biodiversity

Expenditure on UK and global biodiversity

19. Availability of biodiversity data and information for decision making

X

Provisional list of UK IndicatorsGoals D and E

CBD Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group (AHTEG) on Indicators

COP10 requested the CBD Secretariat to convene an AHTEG to:• Identify indicators to measure progress against the Aichi targets• Provide a framework for reporting• Provide guidance for national indicator development

Building from previous indicators / frameworkHeld in the UK in June 2011, together with a supporting

International Expert Workshop

Will report through SBSTTA 15 to CoP11 in 2012. Flexible framework of indicators as basis for 5th & 6th National

Reports

Report and recommendations in SBSTTA 15 papers INF/6, 15/2 and 15/3 http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=sbstta-15

AHTEG results

• 12 Headline Indicators – each covers several sub-topics

• Operational indicators needed under each headline – may be relevant to more than one headline

• Three ‘grades’– A: Priority indicators that are ready for use globally, and, where

appropriate, sub-globally (22 indicators)– B: Priority indicators to be developed at global and sub-global levels

(51 indicators)– C: Additional indicators for consideration at sub-global level

• Main development needs for strategic goals – A (mainstreaming) – D (benefits) – E (implementation)

1 Indicator framework and conceptual model sufficient2 Parties to apply framework flexibly to implement NBSAPs3 Parties to prioritise a few simple indicators, if limited capacity4 Parties encouraged to establish a national (indicator) facilitator5 Encourage long-term monitoring and Communities of Practice6 Provide technical guidance7 Provide guidance on interpreting Aichi targets8 CBD 5th National Reports – Indicator based9 Encourage national to global data flows10 Circulate AHTEG report widely for review11 Encourage CBD to collaborate with other MEAs12 Keep indicator framework under review13 Review indicator development progress in 2015

AHTEG Recommendations

UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/15/INF/6

Choosing IndicatorsEach 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

Choosing Indicators (1)

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.

2. Biodiversity relevant: Each indicator should be relevant for biodiversity.

3. 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.

4. Progress towards target: Each indicator should show progress towards the 2020 targets.

5. Broad acceptance and understandability: Each indicator should be easy to understand and to document.

Choosing Indicators (2)

6. Affordable monitoring, available and routinely collected data: Each indicator should be able to be updated regularly.

7. Affordable modelling: Information on cause-effect relationships should be achievable and quantifiable.

8. 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.

9. National scale and representativeness of data: Each indicator should apply to the national and relevant supra-national.

10. 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.