This collaborative project, sponsored by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and others, developed biodiversity indicators to support planning and decision-making at the national level in four participating countries. In each country national partners developed and tested several indicators for a single focal ecosystem, using an iterative process of consultation, inventory and synthesis of existing data.
The BINU project has launched this 20-page booklet on its experience and lessons learned in developing biodiversity indicators for national use.
Resource Type: ReportsThe Critical Site Network (CSN) Tool is a new online resource for the conservation of 294 species of waterbirds and the important sites upon which they depend in Africa and Western Eurasia. Leading global conservation organisations working for the protection of waterbirds and their habitats have joined forces to develop this tool, strengthening the implementation of the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
Resource Type: Tools / ApplicationsThe Environmental Management Group (EMG). in 2004, decided to focus its attention on environmental capacity building, following concerns of UN agencies and multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) in this area. Consultants were asked to prepare draft studies for the further work of the EMG on capacity building in the areas of biological diversity and chemicals, respectively. The draft studies were further developed following discussions in the EMG and an Issue Management Group established by the EMG. This paper is the result of these discussions for the area of capacity building for biological diversity.
Resource Type: Reports“If we are to make our future on this planet sustainable, a strong science-policy interface is critical. It is here that UNEP-WCMC is vital.”
Achim Steiner,
UNEP Executive Director and UN Under-Secretary-General
The Global Study into management effectiveness evaluation was conducted between late 2005 and 2007. In cooperation with many people across the world, we aimed to strengthen the management of protected areas by compiling the existing work on management effectiveness evaluation, reviewing methodologies, finding patterns and common themes in evaluation results, and investigating the most important factors leading to effective management. The project was supported by WWF International, the Nature Conservancy and the University of Queensland, and worked under the auspices of IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas.
Resource Type: Tools / ApplicationsThe Checklist of CITES species is produced by UNEP-WCMC following each meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES, taking into account all changes agreed by the Parties.
The 2011 Checklist of CITES species, containing updates from CoP15, is the latest edition of this document.
This edition has been restructured, and now comprises:
Part 1: CITES Species Index (previously called the Checklist of CITES Species):
Part 2: History of CITES Listings (previously called the Annotated Appendices and Reservations):
The 2011 Checklist can be accessed here.
Resource Type: ReportsBiologists view Protected Areas (PAs) as natural areas established and managed primarily for the conservation of nature. However, many early Pas were established for aesthetic or socio-economic reasons and received little scientific input to their design. More recently, scientists have identified gaps in PA networks and various contemporary PAs have been established to provide for habitats and species in need of protection.
Scientists have also modelled minimum areas and population sizes that should be protected to prevent extinctions arising from demographic or chance causes. However, these theoretical ideals are difficult to put into practice, particularly as PAs increasingly face more immediate external threats. If scientists are to influence future PA design, and if PAs are to succeed in the long term, these concepts must be applied in practice. Therefore, sufficient protection must be integrated with human needs and aspirations in the design of future protected areas.
National reports continue to provide the best means available to assess the status of implementation of the Convention, and a key tool to guide decisions on current and future strategic priorities. This analysis summarises data provided in section II General Overviews (omitting questions on specific Appendix I species) and sections III, V, VI, IX and X of the National Reports.
A more detailed summary of this information is provided in Annex 1 to this report.
Resource Type: ReportsNational reports continue to provide the best means available to assess the status of implementation of the Convention, and a key tool to guide decisions on current and future strategic priorities. This analysis summarises data provided in section II General Overviews (omitting questions on specific Appendix I species) and sections III, V, VI, IX and X of the National Reports. A more detailed summary of this information is provided in Annex 1 to this report.
Resource Type: ReportsA European Study on protected area management effectiveness assessments was carried out between May 2009 and March 2010, to provide an overview of existing studies, evaluation methods and results. This study was initiated in response to the Global Study’s insufficient coverage of the European sub-region, and as protected area governance in Europe has distinct characteristics that justified a separate analysis. The study was led by the Universities of Greifswald and Queensland, in partnership with UNEP-WCMC, EUROPARC Federation and the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN).
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