12.9. Leemans

Keynote Presentations from the 4th ALTER-Net Summer School, Peyresq 5 - 17 September 2009

Speaker: Rik Leemans

Rik.Leemans -at- wur.nl

Environmental Systems Analysis Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Personal homepage

Title of the talk: The 2010 biodiversity target and long-term climate protection targets (pdf: 7MB)

Summary of the talk by Musa Mlambo (pdf)

Abstract

The international conventions on climate change (UNFCCC) and biodiversity (CBD) have set targets for respectively climate protection and biodiversity conservation. Measuring progress towards such targets requires the development of indicators that not only specify trends but also allow to assess future changes. The philosophy and arguments behind a few indicators and indicators frameworks will be presented and discussed. These include the safe landing approach for long-term climate protection, IPCC’s burning embers to define vulnerabilities and the natural capital index for biodiversity. It will be shown that clear definitions of concepts and conceptualizing relationships is extremely important. Also, integrated approaches, such as the ecosystem approach of the CBD, that are being develop and implemented are promising but have not yet lead to success.

Recommended background literature on this presentation:

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• Balmford A, Bond W (2005) Trends in the state of nature and their implications for human well-being. Ecology Letters 8:1218-1234, doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2005.00814.x
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• Scholes RJ, Biggs R (2005) A biodiversity intactness index. Nature 434:45-32, doi:10.1038/nature03289
• Smith JB, Schellnhuber H-J, Qader Mirza M, Fankhauser S, Leemans R, Erda L, Ogallo LA, Pittock BA, Richels R, Rosenzweig C, Safriel U, Tol RSJ, Weyant J, Yohe G (2001) Vulnerability to climate change and reasons for concern: A synthesis. In: McCarthy JJ, Canziani OF, Leary NA, Dokken DJ, White KS (Eds.) Climate change 2001. Impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 913-967. http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg2/657.htm
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