A global biodiversity observing system to unite monitoring and guide action

Highlights

We need ambitious and rapid action to address the drivers of biodiversity loss and improve conservation action to avoid the great social and economic costs of ecosystem degradation. This will require understanding where, why and how fast biodiversity is changing — something we have limited knowledge of today for much of the planet.

The KM-GBF’s monitoring framework (as outlined in COP decision 15/5) includes a set of indicators that will be used by nations to monitor and report their progress toward the framework’s targets and goals. The indicators track actions and policies that implement the framework and those that reduce the drivers of biodiversity loss.

Disparities among nations in the access and use of biodiversity observations and knowledge means that the global community is not adequately equipped to meet the information requirements of the monitoring framework.

To address this gap, GEO BON and its partner institutions propose the establishment of a global biodiversity observing system (GBiOS) to initially interlink existing capacities and organizations to monitor how, where and why biodiversity is changing, and to progressively grow to guide the action needed to realize the targets and goals of the KM-GBF.