Millennium Ecosystem Assessment - Overview EEA-NRC meeting - September 2008 Ivone Pereira Martins

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity Call for Action CBD COP8 Decision VIII/9 / 2006 Revised implications of MA findings and called for follow up actions by parties using MA methodologies and conceptual framework SBSTTA 12 Rec XII/3 / 2007 Called for the preparation of a coherent international multiagency strategy for the MA follow up CBD COP 9 / 2008 Acknowledge the global strategy for MA follow up and asked parties to contribute to its implementation by Promoting and supporting SGA based on the MA conceptual framework Consider MA approaches when developing national biodiversity and development and cooperation approaches

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity Human demand for ecosystem services is quickly growing around the world Water One-third of the world’s population is now subject to water scarcity. Population facing water scarcity will double over the next 30 years Food Food production must increase to meet the needs of an additional 3 billion people over the next 30 years Timber Wood fuel is the only source of fuel for one third of the world’s population. Wood demand will double in next 50 years.

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity The capacity of many ecosystems to provide certain services has been declining Excellent Good Fair Poor Bad Not Assessed Agro-ecosystem Coastal Systems Forest Systems Freshwater Grasslands Food-Fiber Production Water Quality Water Quantity Biodiversity Carbon Storage Increasing Decreasing Mixed Condition of Ecosystem Changing Capacity Key Ecosystem Type Services

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity Despite knowledge of the increasing demand and diminishing or endangered supply, science and policy has not tackled effectively these challenges… Existing mechanisms for linking science and policy are highly sectoral whereas the major problems today are increasingly multisectoral. Such mechanisms include: Forest Resource Assessment, World Water Assessment, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, etc. Significant issues identified by scientists are not on policy agendas. E.g., Change in nitrogen and phosphorous cycles receives little attention outside of scientific literature New data sources, methodologies and models are underutilized in many countries. E.g., Remote sensing tools and data; Scenarios development

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment is: An international scientific assessment completed in 2005 Designed to meet assessment needs of 1.Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), 2.Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD), 3.Ramsar Wetlands Convention, 4.other partners including the private sector and civil society Focused on the consequences of changes in ecosystems for human well-being Undertaken at multiple scales (local to global) Designed to both provide information and build capacity to provide information Expected to be repeated at 5-10 year intervals if it successfully meets needs

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity The MA focuses on: Ecosystem services The consequences of changes in ecosystems for human well being The consequences of changes in ecosystems for other life on earth

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity Ecosystem Services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems Regulating Benefits obtained from regulation of ecosystem processes climate regulation disease regulation flood regulation detoxification Provisioning Goods produced or provided by ecosystems food fresh water fuel wood fiber biochemicals genetic resources Cultural Non-material benefits obtained from ecosystems spiritual recreational aesthetic inspirational educational communal symbolic Supporting Services necessary for production of other ecosystem services Soil formation Nutrient cycling Primary production

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity The MA is an Integrated Assessment Integrates the effects of multiple drivers on all ecosystems IPCC looks at impacts of one driver (climate) on different systems; Driver Response Human Impact Ecosystems HealthEconomicsSocial Climate Change Land Cover Change Biodiversity Loss Nutrient Loading Etc. Millennium Assessment IPCC Climate Change Energy Sector Biodiversity Food Supply Water HealthEconomicsSocial

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity The MA design reflects a full spectrum of stakeholder groups Private sector MA developed a close relationship with the World Business Council on Sustainable Development Individual companies were represented by Board members MA findings were considered relevant to intermediaries such as credit agencies, institutional investors, and trade organizations Media and Public National and sub-national governments ~180 governments have endorsed the MA through their participation in international conventions Administrative authorities are also engaged as users at other levels International organizations The MA was featured as a key action in the UN Secretary- General’s “Millennium Report”, April 2000 The MA was launched by Kofi Annan, June international institutions were directly represented on the MA Board Local communities and civil society Traditional knowledge of indigenous groups was incorporated in the MA MA has been designed to meet some assessment needs of indigenous and local communities MA will provide information to various news outlets, journals, etc. Findings may become part of a public information campaign on ecosystems

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) First MA Product, published September 2003 Other reports at

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity Conceptual Framework Report: “Ecosystems and Human Well-Being” Purpose: To provide a unified approach, rationale, and terminology for the assessment To inform MA users as well as the scientific community of the nature of the product and its foundation To provide information to those interested in applying elements of the MA in other assessment activities

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity Conceptual Framework

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity Using the Conceptual Framework as a guide, MA answered core questions Given plausible changes in primary drivers, what will be the consequences for ecosystems, their services, and human well-being? What can we do about it? All of the above… at global and sub-global scales What is the current condition and historical trends of ecosystems and their services? What have been the consequences of changes in ecosystems for human well- being?

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity MA as a Multiple Scales Assessment Regional Users Regional Development Banks, etc. National Government Local Community Global Assessment National Local Permit social and ecological processes to be assessed at their characteristic scale Allow greater spatial, temporal, causal detail to be considered as scale becomes finer Allow independent validation of larger-scale conclusions Permit reporting and response options matched to the scale where decision-making takes place

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity Capacity Building A Central Objective of the MA, capacity building was expected to occur through multiple outlets: Access to Data/Information Sub-Global Assessments Training Materials Scenarios and Modeling Partnerships

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity Reflections on the MA Limited impact on policy formulation and decision making Need to fill knowledge gaps at all levels and economic valuations on ecosystems services Need to develop working models to analyse ecosystems services and their trade offs Need to further raise awareness Limited funds for many of the SGA

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity Global MA Follow up Strategy Knowledge base Knowledge gaps, data collection, use and exchange, tools and methodologies, web based learning platform, SGAs Policy implementation Decision support tools and methodologies, build capacity, financial incentives, good practice guidance Outreach and Dissemination Design outreach strategy, awareness raising within the UN family, disseminate communication material, training of journalists Future assessments WG on collaborative mechanisms, WG to develop proposals for scope and process for a second global assessment

EIONET NRC Nature Biodiversity IPBES CBD COP 9 noted the need to strengthen SBSTTA and other subsidiary bodies and welcomed an ”ad/hoc open/ended, intergovernmental and multi stakeholder meeting to consider establishing an international science/policy interface on biodiversity, ecosystem services and human wellbeing” Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services to improve the science policy interface, a platform to support biodiversity and ecosystems MEAs