Indicator Dictionary

Description

Percentage of change in fresh water ecosystems

This indicator is proposed as an indicator for Sustainable Development Target 06.6 By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes.

Value Range

Data

The indicator uses the existing Living Planet Index methodology for data collection and analysis. Data are compiled and disseminated through the Ramsar Convention’s “State of the World’s Wetlands and their Services” (SoWWS) reports which are
overseen by its Scientific and Technical Review Panel. The data originates from multiple sources including national reports submitted to the Ramsar Convention, published scientific papers and, increasingly, through analysis of remote sensing data. Currently, 169 Parties regularly report on trends in wetlands to the Ramsar Convention. Other data sources enable fully global coverage. The data can be disaggregated by wetland type: for example, for lakes, floodplains, coastal wetlands or artificial/constructed wetlands. Wetland area is most accurately estimated through manual digitalization of aerial or satellite images, a methodology that in the coming years will be advanced by remote sensing. Supplementary information comes through scientific papers and national reports. Heterogeneous datasets are considered to be acceptable, if not desirable: change in extent will still be captured and heterogeneous datasets allow for more discrete analysis by wetland type, location and region.

CBD and UNEP, on behalf of UN-Water Assessments are undertaken by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, in collaboration with CBD (including the biodiversity indicators partnership) and UNEP, through the GEMI monitoring initiative. Under the UN-Water umbrella, the GEMI monitoring initiative will integrate the monitoring Framework in place under the SoWWS (see description of GEMI under 6.3.1). Baseline data are available at the global level. Historical records are available for some regions and wetlands types from the 1700's. The baseline assessment will be 2015 (first SoWWS report) with remote sensing data using 1970 as the baseline year. Currently, 169 Parties regularly report on trends in wetlands to the Ramsar Convention. Other data sources enable fully global coverage.

Linkages: This indicator can inform on the following targets: Target 9.1 and 9.2, Target 11.5, Target 11.6, Target 11.7, Target 12.2, Target 12.4, Target 13.1, Target 14.1, Target 14.2 and 14.5, Target 15.1, 15.2 and 15.3

Questions, answers and comments

Sources

The list of indicator proposals (as of 11 August 2015) used for the IAEG-SDG Open Consultation with Civil Society, Academia and Private Sector.