Concerns over the EU’s wolf downlisting proposal

GBIF is an international network and data infrastructure funded by the world’s governments. It provides open access to data on all types of life on Earth. GBIF provides data-holding institutions around the world with common standards, best practices and open-source tools enabling them to share information on species. The data derive from many sources, from museum specimens collected in the 18th and 19th centuries to DNA barcodes and citizen science smartphone photos.

The network collates these diverse data sources through data standards, including Darwin Core, which forms the basis for most of GBIF’s index of hundreds of millions of species occurrence records. Publishers provide open access to their datasets using machine-readable Creative Commons licence designations, allowing scientists, researchers, and others to apply the data.

KBAs are sites that ‘contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems’. KBAs are identified on the basis of species or ecosystems, according to five criteria and 11 subcriteria, all supported by quantitative thresholds. The KBA Global Standard details the criteria and subcriteria. KBA sites must meet one of the criteria and be clearly delineated. Proposed sites are independently reviewed and once accepted are included in the World Database of KBAs.

KBAs are normally identified by a KBA National Coordination Group (NCG). However, anyone with appropriate data may propose a site as a KBA, but they are they are encouraged to work with the NCG if one exists and consultation with relevant stakeholders at the local and national level is required and needs to be documented in the proposal. Where a KBA NCG has not yet been established, proposers submit a site proposal directly.

The Key Biodiversity Areas Partnership is composed of 13 leading international organizations including IUCN. It maintains a KBA Committee, Secretariat, a Technical Working Group, a KBA Consultative Forum, and the World Database of Key Biodiversity Areas. An independent KBA Standards and Appeals Committee has been established under the authority of the elected SSC and WCPA Chairs.

How to use

• To download the KBA Standard, criteria, and guidelines, and for further information: https://www.keybiodiversityareas.org/home
• To explore maps and site details on the World Database of KBAS: https://wdkba.keybiodiversityareas.org
• For guidance on the role of KBA National Coordination Groups and how to establish them: https://www.keybiodiversityareas.org/working-with-kbas/programme/national-coordination-groups

An ESIA is a statement about the likely impacts of a proposal and how the identified negative impacts can be mitigated and managed and how the positive impacts can be enhanced. The purpose of this review procedure is to ensure that the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports provide adequate assessment and protection measures to manage environmental and social impacts. A systematic approach to review is needed to ensure that the environmental and social impact assessment reports comply with requirements, are consistent with standards of good practice, and provide good quality information to support decision making.

The database has been developed by the IUCN SSC Species Monitoring Specialist Group with support from Re:wild. It includes 178 global data sources on: monitoring biodiversity state, pressures and threats; monitoring conservation responses to biodiversity loss, and those with multiple uses for biodiversity monitoring. A fact sheet answering frequently asked questions about the database is also available. The Species Monitoring Specialist Group is a voluntary network of experts from around the world and includes specialists on different species and taxa, on different monitoring techniques and issues, and on different types  of data use. The group aims to enhance conservation by improving the flow of species data from collection point to decision-maker.

How to use

Version 3.0 of the database and the fact sheet can be downloaded at:  https://www.speciesmonitoring.org/data-sources.html

A selection of Manuals, Guidelines and Methods Reviews is available at:

https://www.speciesmonitoring.org/guidelines-and-tools.html

To contact the Species monitoring Specialist Group: SpeciesMonitoring@gmail.com

The SMART platform consists of a set of software and analysis tools designed to help conservationists manage and protect wildlife and wild places. SMART can help standardize and streamline data collection, analysis, and reporting, making it easier for key information to get from the field to decision-makers.

SMART supports a broad range of conservation management activities, including biodiversity conservation, law enforcement, tourism and visitor management, natural resources use, intelligence, and performance and threat level assessments.

Our approach covers three areas: cutting-edge technology, building conservation capacity, and empowering a global network of SMART conservation practitioners. The SMART Approach is supported by a unique, long-term alliance of leading conservation organizations, offering powerful applications in conservation practice to ensure the survival of the Earth’s biodiversity for generations to come.

As habitats and ecosystems become increasingly altered and populations evermore impacted by human activities, a growing number of species will require some form of management of both individuals and populations to ensure their survival. Ex situ management is one possible option that can contribute to the conservation of threatened species. The aim of these guidelines is to provide practical guidance on evaluating the suitability and requirements of an ex situ component for achieving species conservation objectives.

The One Planet Network’s Sustainable Food System (SFS) Programme contributes to a transformation towards sustainable food systems that was called for at the UN Food Systems Summit in 2021. The SFS Programme is a partnership focused on urgent transformation towards sustainable food systems as a critical strategy to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

The SFS Programme has four objectives and five cross-cutting themes to support its goal of accelerating the shift to sustainable food systems. The Programme has developed a range of tools to providing guidance for the transformation to sustainable food systems.

The Franklinia Foundation is a private foundation under Swiss law established in 2005 that provides financial support for nature conservation projects. Its objective is to ensure the conservation of threatened tree species throughout the world and to improve their conservation status.

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 is a global call to action, drawing together political support, scientific research, and finance to massively scale up restoration of terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems. It is led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), working with other partners. The website contains a, social media cards, sample messaging, and an animated visual identity designed for users to use or modify according to their needs.

How to use

To obtain information: https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/charting-course-global-restoration

To contribute to the UN Decade: https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/join-movement

GBIF is an international network and data infrastructure funded by the world’s governments. It provides open access to data on all types of life on Earth. GBIF provides data-holding institutions around the world with common standards, best practices and open-source tools enabling them to share information on species. The data derive from many sources, from museum specimens collected in the 18th and 19th centuries to DNA barcodes and citizen science smartphone photos.

The network collates these diverse data sources through data standards, including Darwin Core, which forms the basis for most of GBIF’s index of hundreds of millions of species occurrence records. Publishers provide open access to their datasets using machine-readable Creative Commons licence designations, allowing scientists, researchers, and others to apply the data.

Small-scale fisheries provide food security, livelihoods and income to millions of people but their management still presents a challenge to managers and other stakeholders due to problems in gathering suitable information and its incorporation in fisheries policy. Fishers are a key source of knowledge for assessment of both extractive capacity and value in small-scale fisheries, in addition to providing a broad array of cultural knowledge. The increasing recognition of the value of incorporating traditional fishing knowledge in freshwater, riverine, lacustrine and coastal and marine fisheries management is now evident in international conventions and published literature. The purpose of these guidelines is to make it easier for users to recognise and include fishers’ knowledge as an important data stream in resource management. The report includes details on the breadth of knowledge that can be gathered, how it can be gathered, and how this information can be applied to support sustainable fisheries policy and broader applications in society. It contains case studies from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and the Pacific.

The Biological Diversity Protocol (BD Protocol) provides companies with a standardised accounting and reporting framework to consolidate their biodiversity impact data across value chains and jurisdictions. The BD Protocol assists companies to develop their biodiversity impact inventory and the associated Statements of  Biodiversity Position and Performance from site or project management to disclosure.

The BD Protocol is an output of the Biodiversity Disclosure Project (BDP), an effort spearheaded by the National Biodiversity and Business Network (NBBN) of South Africa and managed by the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders. The BD Protocol aims to support existing impact measurement approaches so that biodiversity impact disclosure becomes comparable across industries and companies.