Biodiversity Programme Advisory Group - target indicator: recommendations

Executive summary

The Biodiversity Programme Advisory Group (PAG) was brought together to discuss available indicators able to represent the target topics previously recommended by the group. Using a pre-workshop questionnaire and an in-person workshop, the PAG were asked to recommend a minimum selection of indicators from a long list of known indicators either currently available or in development.

In total, 17 indicators from the long list were identified as possible candidates across the seven target topics. However, the PAG highlighted that only two of the target topics (habitat condition and extent, and threatened species status) had full available indicator coverage (with some required adaptation). All of the other target topics were deemed to have partial coverage by the available indicators, apart from Ecosystem Integrity and Health which the PAG felt was not represented fully by any currently available indicator albeit with some options available. Recommendations have been made under each target topic for development work to fill identified gaps. It was also recognised that as better indicators and assessment methods develop over time there should be scope to update indicators and their targets.