BISE platform on Ecosystem assessments

EIONET Biodiversity NRC – European CHM network

5-6-7 November 2012, Copenhagen, EEA

Valérie LAPORTE

The need for an information platform on ecosystem assessment in Europe

EEA 2010 Survey (targeting 38 countries, feedback from 22):http://biodiversity.europa.eu/ecosystem-assessments/events-1/eureca-meetings/workshop-ecosystem-assessments-europe-12-13-october-2010/documents/final-report.doc

• Variety of approaches, local contexts

• Different understandings of the concepts, different categorising of ecosystem services

• Ecosystem assessments are often undertaken in isolation, with sectoral approaches, limited sharing of experiences

• Absence of clearly defined policy goals

• Civil society and private stakeholders are largely absent,& implementing agencies largely confined to academic institutions

BISE platform on Ecosystem assessmentshttp://biodiversity.europa.eu/ecosystem-assessments

Belgium

Spain

Portugal

UK

European: MAES

Global: MA, TEEB, IPBES, CBD, …

Process & Governance

Conceptual framework

Status of ecosystems & ecosystem services

Valuation

Scenarios

Policies

Case-studies & EventsConcepts and approaches

Country survey on ecosystem-based management

Czech Republic

FranceGermany, Norway…

Example of country case study

Information on “MAES” European initiative

The need for a virtual library

The information on the platform: not up-to-date, far from sufficient

A virtual library is needed to provide a more comprehensive and indexed collection of documents

Populated by multiple experts

Collect key documents with mandatory information on their content

Tools will be available for Uploading documents with mandatory information

Searching for documents (based on the information provided)

A questionnaire on the scope of the virtual library

Your needs• Issues: mapping, valuation, scenarios, policy analyses…?

• Geographic area: national, local, regional, global?

• Medium: reports, events, tools, presentations?

• Type: assessment, research, policy?

Your contributions?

Online: http://projects.eionet.europa.eu/ecosystem-assessments-virtual-library/library/survey

Thank you

Policy developments

• Emphasise the importance of ecosystem services for the economy and human well-being & call for new policy tools and instruments “to deliver smart, sustainable and inclusive growth”

EU Biodiversity strategy to 2020

RE flagship initiative

• Call for examination of all existing environment related targets and their interrelations to build more coherence in future actions

roadmap to a resource efficient Europe,

recent Parliament report on 6th EAP

recent initiative by Directors of Nature and water

The management of human activities for a sustainable development that does not jeopardize essential ecosystem functions and services

Single species

Single issue

Single activity

Short term perspective

Local scale

Ecology

Sociology

Economy

Long term perspective

Across spatial scales

An integrated approach Focus approach

Ecosystem-based management

Envisaged outcomes

• An analytical report “Resource efficiency in Europe” (Oct 2011) reflecting on trends, similarities and differences in policy responses

• Detailed ‘country profiles’ available on the EEA website

Why a country survey on Ecosystem-based management?http://projects.eionet.europa.eu/survey-ecosystem-based-management-2012/

• EBM is not a new concept…

• Objectives of the survey:

• Capture and disseminate country experiences

• Expand the knowledge base on ecosystems and their services in Europe, by providing up-to-date policy information on national approaches, strategies, targets and instruments

• Provide inputs to support the policy processes at national, EU and international level

Environmental policies

Nature,

Water,

Marine...Cross-cutting issues

Spatial planning

Climate change

Resource efficiency

Risks and disasters

Human health...

Sectors

Agriculture

Forestry

Fisheries

Energy

Industry

Transport

Construction &

Housing Tourism…

More information on the survey:http://projects.eionet.europa.eu/survey-ecosystem-based-management-2012/

• Country coordinators for 26 countries:

• 23 EEA member countries

• 3 EEA collaborating countries

• Answers expected in early december

Matrix approach to streamline information

  Terrestrial Freshwater Marine Atmosphere

Provisioning        

Nutrition        Material        Energy        

Regulating        

Waste        

Flow regulation        

Physical environment         

Biotic environment        

Cultural        

Symbolic        

Intellectual & experiential        

Conservation