B - Convention on Biological Diversity

(i) connectivity/fragmentation of ecosystems;(j) area of forest, agricultural, fi shery and aquaculture ecosystems under sustainable management.Further indicators should be regularly developed for endangered biodiversity, ecosystem services and balanceddistribution of profits derived from the use of genetic resources.According to Annex I. of the <strong>Convention</strong> on Biological Diversity, especially the followingcomponents of biodiversity should be identified and monitored:1. Ecosystems and habitats: containing high diversity, large numbers of endemic or threatened species, orwilderness; required by migratory species; of social, economic, cultural or scientifi c importance; or, which arerepresentative, unique or associated with key evolutionary or other biological processes;2. Species and communities which are: threatened; wild relatives of domesticated or cultivated species; ofmedicinal, agricultural or other economic value; or social, scientifi c or cultural importance; or importance forresearch into the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, such as indicator species; and3. Described genomes and genes of social, scientific or economic importance.AI.II.III.IV.V.VI.II. Current ConditionsThe EC Sustainable Development Strategy has set the objective of halting the biodiversity loss by 2010.This requirement was established in connection with the Implementation Plan of the World Summit onSustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg in 2002, which attempts to achieve more effective and morecomprehensive implementation of all three objectives of the <strong>Convention</strong> and a substantial reduction in the rate ofglobal biodiversity loss. Evaluation of these obligations is not possible without evaluation of current conditions,changes and trends in biological diversity on the basis of the existing, highly dispersed and sometimes poorlyavailable information and systematic monitoring of trends in the decrease of the biodiversity components.In the framework of the EC legislation, the obligation is imposed on the individual Member States to introducea system of monitoring of components of biodiversity important from a European standpoint, represented byspecial types of natural habitats and species and subspecies of wild flora and fauna. Evaluation of the state ofbiodiversity on the territory of the CR is not possible without specification of components indicating changes inthe biodiversity and subsequent coordination of monitoring and biodiversity information exchange.VII.VIII.IX.X.XI.XII.In the framework of the CBD, principles were proposed for sets of indicators, used on a national scale by theindividual Parties, and monitoring of biodiversity 6 . Although a great many international processes are beingimplemented to halt the biodiversity loss, so far there are no generally accepted procedures for monitoring andevaluation that could be used to measure and to assess biodiversity and its losses at the genetic, species andecosystem level. The procedure of development of national indicators and monitoring includes particularly:(a) setting the appropriate problems and objectives,(b) proposing and testing suitable indicators,(c) development of a suitable monitoring programme, permitting access to verifi able objectives.There are several monitoring programmes in Europe, coordinated particularly by international nongovernmental6 UNEP/CBD/SBSTTA/9/INF/7: Report of the expert meeting on indicators of biological diversity including indicators for rapidassessment of inland water ecosystems.57