Measuring biodiversity change
The issue
Biodiversity has many dimensions including variety, quantity, composition and distribution. Whichever of these we choose to measure, biodiversity is changing in unprecedented ways. To respond to this, we need to know what is changing, where, and at what rate.
Our approach
UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre provides information to show the current status of biodiversity and how this is changing, using our own assessments and building on work done by others. We support national governments and regional bodies to develop and measure indicators of the state of biodiversity, and enable global reporting on biodiversity change. This kind of information is essential for tracking whether we are on course to meet targets like those adopted as part of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020, and can help measure progress towards other global objectives like the Millennium Development Goals.