Guidelines for the Rapid Ecological Assessment - Convention on ...

Foreword
FOREWORD
According to <strong>the</strong> Millennium Ecosystem <strong>Assessment</strong> reports, inland water, coastal and near-shore
marine ecosystems include <strong>the</strong> most threatened of <strong>the</strong> world’s main habitat types. Demands placed by
people on natural resources in and around <strong>the</strong>se wetlands, particularly <strong>the</strong> unsustainable use of water
resources, are consequently resulting in rapid changes, especially declines, in biodiversity. This in turn
results in significantly reduced capacity of <strong>the</strong> ecosystems to provide <strong>the</strong> important services that are necessary
<strong>for</strong> people, in particular to <strong>the</strong> poor and vulnerable communities in less developed countries, as
well as <strong>the</strong> planet. Sustaining and rehabilitating, where necessary, <strong>the</strong>se ecosystem services is a key
requirement <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> achievement of human development goals and targets.
Despite <strong>the</strong> tremendous importance of <strong>the</strong>se ecosystems to human welfare, our knowledge of <strong>the</strong> biodiversity
within <strong>the</strong>m is fragmentary at best. There are many reasons <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong>se knowledge gaps. The significant
contribution of <strong>the</strong>se ecosystems to human wellbeing has not always been matched by investment
in research and management. They also support a very large diversity of life. Some habitats
remain difficult to access and sample. The comprehensive assessment of <strong>the</strong>se biological resources
requires significant and long-term ef<strong>for</strong>t. We should not <strong>for</strong>get that, <strong>for</strong> some habitats in some regions,
scientists have already improved our understanding, despite wide-ranging constraints. Nei<strong>the</strong>r should
we ignore <strong>the</strong> role of local communities, who are already armed with considerable understanding of
<strong>the</strong>se environments.
We need more in<strong>for</strong>mation to be able to manage <strong>the</strong>se systems better. The urgency of biodiversity
decline means that such in<strong>for</strong>mation needs to be obtained quickly, using credible methods applied efficiently
and effectively. Achieving a significant reduction in <strong>the</strong> rate of loss of biodiversity by 2010
requires substantial ef<strong>for</strong>ts and must be accompanied by scientifically valid approaches to <strong>the</strong> evaluation
of our progress. For given locations or ecosystems we need to know better what biodiversity is <strong>the</strong>re, its
status, function and value and whe<strong>the</strong>r our ef<strong>for</strong>ts are contributing to improving things.
It is primarily <strong>for</strong> this reason that <strong>the</strong>se guidelines have been produced. They present a suite of options
<strong>for</strong> rapidly undertaking assessments in different habitat types and under differing technical capacity
constraints. They include approaches <strong>for</strong> obtaining data <strong>for</strong> inventories, assessment and monitoring.
They focus on biological assessments, mainly at <strong>the</strong> species level but also at <strong>the</strong> ecosystem level. The
assessment of <strong>the</strong> social, economic and cultural values of <strong>the</strong> biodiversity of <strong>the</strong>se ecosystems is equally,
if not more, important. There<strong>for</strong>e a complementary set of guidelines is being produced to assist with
those aspects.
These guidelines have been produced through a lengthy and detailed consultative process. But no guidance
can be totally comprehensive. We present <strong>the</strong>m as a tool to assist those that need help to try to
obtain better in<strong>for</strong>mation effectively. The guidelines should be considered in <strong>the</strong> context of available
local capacity and <strong>the</strong> availability of o<strong>the</strong>r sources of assistance with obtaining in<strong>for</strong>mation. In particular,
we stress that <strong>the</strong>y should be used, if necessary, as a means to supplement in<strong>for</strong>mation available
through traditional and local knowledge.
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