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  Defining Protected Areas International Conference Almeria 2007 »

  The IUCN Summit on Protected Area Management Categories was held in Almeria, Spain in May 2007. It aimed to test the opinions of key thinkers and policy makers regarding the revision of guidelines to interpretation of the six IUCN protected area categories. The meeting was generously supported by the Junta de Andalusia, the Spanish Ministry of Environment and the foundation Biodiversidad. The meeting operated through plenary sessions and a series of specialised workshops, with many presentations and time for detailed discussion. There were two field trips, midway through the meeting and at the end. More than a hundred people attended from over fifty countries around of the world.

  Resource Type: Reports
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  CMS Analysis and Synthesis of National Reports COP 9 »

  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: Reports
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  Bamboo Biodiversity: information for planning conservation and management in the Asia-Pacific region »

  Bamboos are distinct and fascinating plants, with a wide range of values and uses. They play a significant role in biodiversity conservation and contribute to soil and water management. They are important for biomass production and play an increasing role in local and world economies. This study used an innovative approach to map potential current distibutions of nearly 1 000 individual bamboo species that occur naturally within remaining forests of the Asia-Pacific region. The maps were also combined to generate regional maps showing potential species and generic richness. By quantifying the area of forest cover remaining within each species' range, this study shows that more than 400 bamboo species are potentially threatened by the destruction of natural forest cover. Conservation and sustainable management of wild populations of bamboo should be high priority, especially where diversity is high or deforestation is a significant threat.

  A joint project between UNEP-WCMC and INBAR (International Network for Bamboo and Rattan).

  Resource Type: Reports
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  Wild Bird Index: Guidance for national and regional use »

  This guidance document is one of a series produced with the support of the 2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (2010 BIP) to assist Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to track their progress towards the 2010 Biodiversity Targets. The Wild Bird Index has been selected as one of the indicators suitable for assessing progress towards and communicating the 2010 target at the global level. The aim of this document is to provide guidance to support the calculation and interpretation of the Wild Bird Index at the national and regional scales.

   

  Resource Type: Reports
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  Carbon Markets and Forest Conservation: A review of the Environmental Benefits of REDD Mechanisms »

  This report considers the measures that have been and might be undertaken to promote environmental co-benefits from REDD. Such measures may be linked to decisions on financing. The report surveys the measures that are found in existing REDD initiatives, including in the proposed UNFCCC REDD mechanism itself. It considers the options and opportunities for how these measures might be amended and developed in the future.

  Resource Type: Reports

• Harmonization of National Reporting - Key Papers »

  UNEP-WCMC has released a series of papers and reports over the last 15 years, outlining the feasibility of and the steps that are needed to allow harmonized national reporting to Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). Many other organisations and researchers have produced work on the topic too, exploring the burden of reporting felt by nations and a variety of means through which to streamline the reporting process. This section brings together these papers for further reading.

  Resource Type: Reports
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  UNEP-WCMC publications on Internet Archive »

  Since its creation in 1979 WCMC has produced well over 1500 books and reports. These include both published documents and ‘grey’ literature, commissioned reports and items in the public domain. UNEP-WCMC has selected 380 of the most important books and reports from this collection, and has worked with the Biodiversity Heritage Library to make these freely available online at http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=wcmc.

  Resource Type: Reports
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  Carbon and biodiversity: A demonstration atlas »

  The 24 page demonstration atlas, launched at the 14th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, shows that areas high in both carbon and biodiversity do exist and can be identified by relatively simple mapping tools. Prioritising such areas could give the 'double benefit' of reducing emissions from land use change whilst conserving biodiversity. Three regional maps along with six national maps are shown for the tropics, derived from global-scale data.

  Resource Type: Reports
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  Beyond Carbon: Ecosystem-based benefits of REDD+ »

  When forests that would have been lost or degraded are retained or restored through REDD+, they deliver ‘multiple benefits’ in addition to protecting or enhancing carbon stocks. These ecosystem-based benefits may include conservation of forest biodiversity, water regulation, soil conservation, timber, forest foods and other non-timber forest products. REDD+ can also lead to direct social benefits, such as jobs, livelihoods, land tenure clarification, carbon credit payments or enhanced participation in decision-making under stronger governance. The UN-REDD Programme works with countries to address both ecosystem-based and social benefits, as well as a range of other REDD+ relevant areas. This brochure focuses on the ecosystem-based benefits of REDD+, which often depend upon forest biodiversity.

  Resource Type: Reports
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  Deep-sea sponge grounds: Reservoirs of biodiversity (2010) »

  This report draws together scientific understanding of deep-water sponge grounds alongside the threats they face and ways in which they can be conserved. Beginning with a summary of research approaches, sponge biology and biodiversity, the report also gives up-to-date case studies of particular deep-water sponge habitats from around the world. These include the spectacular giant glass sponge reefs of British Columbia – a relic of the time of the dinosaurs – and the diverse sponge kingdom of Antarctica. Long-overlooked, recent research now shows that deep-water sponge grounds form complex, slow-growing and long-lived habitats in many parts of the global ocean. As well as forming local biodiversity centres, deep-water sponges are also storehouses of novel chemical compounds, some of which show promise in the fight against cancer and other diseases.

  Resource Type: Reports