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Indicator fact sheet – Introduction and
example
Sophie Condé,
MNHN, European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity
Table of Contents
1. Why we need fact sheets?
2. Descriptive fact sheet
3. Assessment fact sheet
Why we need fact sheets?
• Standardized way for explanations and documentation
• Preliminary fact sheet to support selection of indicators
see EEA Technical report 11/2007 Proposal for a first set of indicators
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How the indicator has been elaborated: Descriptive fact sheet
• How the indicator can be read: Assessment fact sheet
Descriptive fact sheet
• Indicator definition
• Key policy question
• Data sources
• Justification for indicator selection
• Policy context and targets
• Methodology
• Uncertainties
• More information about this indicator
• Contacts and ownership
Example SEBI 07 Designated Areas
Descriptive fact sheet
• Indicator definition: The indicator illustrates the rate of growth in the
number and total area of nationally protected areas over time. The
indicator can be disaggregated by IUCN category, biogeographic region
and country.
• Key policy question:
• Data sources
• Justification for indicator selection
• Policy context and targets
• Methodology
• Uncertainties
• More information about this indicator
• Contacts and ownership
Descriptive fact sheet
• Indicator definition: The indicator illustrates the rate of growth in the
number and total area of nationally protected areas over time. The
indicator can be disaggregated by IUCN category, biogeographic region
and country.
• Key policy question: What is the progress with the national designation
of protected areas as a tool for biodiversity conservation?
• Data sources
• Justification for indicator selection
• Policy context and targets
• Methodology
• Uncertainties
• More information about this indicator
• Contacts and ownership
Descriptive fact sheet
• Indicator definition
• Key policy question
• Data sources: Nationally designated areas (CDDA) provided by
European Environment Agency (EEA)
• Justification for indicator selection
• Policy context and targets
• Methodology
• Uncertainties
• More information about this indicator
• Contacts and ownership
Descriptive fact sheet
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Indicator definition
Key policy question
Data sources
Justification for indicator selection:
MAIN ADVANTAGES OF THE INDICATOR
There is international acceptance of the indicator at a global, regional and national scale.
The indicator provides information and can be used at different scales.
Information on sites that have been designated for conservation purposes is, in theory,
readily available in every country. For 38 countries participating in the EEA work
programme a reporting obligation on designated areas exists.
Scientific references: No rationale references available
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Policy context and targets
Methodology
Uncertainties
More information about this indicator
Contacts and ownership
Descriptive fact sheet
• Policy context and targets:
Context description Establishment of protected areas is a direct response to concerns over biodiversity loss, so an
indicator in protected area coverage is a valuable indication of commitment to conserving biodiversity and reducing loss at a
range of levels.
Comprehensive data on officially designated protected areas are regularly compiled.
The data include information on all nationally designated sites, ranging from national parks to forest reserves and from strict
nature reserves to resource reserves. When reporting on protected areas, countries have been asked to cluster the different
designation-types according to three main categories: Category A: Designation types used with the intention to protect fauna,
flora, habitats and landscapes (the latter as far as relevant for fauna, flora and for habitat protection). Category B: Statutes
under sectoral, particularly forestry, legislative and administrative acts providing an adequate protection relevant for fauna,
flora and habitat conservation. Category C: Private statute providing durable protection for fauna, flora or habitats.
It is important to note for this indicator, and for any other indicators based on the Common Database on Designated Areas
(http://www.eionet.eu.int/Topic_Areas/Biological_Biodiversity/cdda2005), that information on national protection is based not
on protected areas sensu stricto but on designated areas, and that a number of included sites may not meet internationally
adopted definitions of protected areas (see IUCN 2008 Guidelines for applying Area Management Categories at
http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/edocs/PAPS-016.pdf and the CBD at http://www.biodiv.org/convention/articles.asp).
For forest protected areas, the final report of the COST E27 project contains quantitative comparisons of national data
according the different definitions of forest protection categories (IUCN, MCPFE and EEA) (Frank et al. 2007).
Relation of the indicator to the focal area This indicator demonstrates the change over time in one form of protection
afforded to components of biodiversity.
Targets No targets have been specified
Related policy documents No related policy documents have been specified
Descriptive fact sheet
• Methodology:
Methodology for indicator calculation Information is collected from national authorities according to a shared
agreement between EEA and UNEP-WCMC. EEA is responsible for data collection from EEA member and collaborating
countries (38), while UNEP-WCMC is responsible for collection of data from other European countries (15). Methodology and
process are defined in http://themes.eea.europa.eu/IMS/IMS/ISpecs/ISpecification20041007131611/full_spec.
Currently, the cumulative area of nationally designated areas over time in European countries for the period XXXX-YYYY is
calculated in km2 by adding the absolute surface areas reported by countries. This leads to double counting in cases where
some protected areas are included in a bigger one (for example two small nature reserves in a big national park). In the future,
the calculation of the surface area should be done using the following next steps:
Spatial data on sites with known designation year and boundaries processed in GIS systems using an equal area projection
(not yet available for all sites).
Data on sites with no boundary data available, but with location data (latitude/longitude), are recorded in the CDDA Proportional
polygons (circles with the area equal to officially designated protected area size and centered at a known site location) are
generated in an equal area projection using GIS.
Sample formula applied (syntaxes may vary depending of the GIS applied):Circle.
Make([X-coord]@[Y-coord], (([Area_km2] * 1000/(Number.GetPi))^0.5)).as polygon. Both sets of polygons (based on actual
boundary data and proportional circles) are overlaid to produce a single coverage statistic.
Sites area totals are to be estimated yearly with overlapping areas analysed in a manner to ensure that they are counted only
once.
Methodology for gap filling No methodology for gap filling has been specified. Probably this info has been added
together with indicator calculation.
Methodology references
Descriptive fact sheet
• Uncertainties
Methodology uncertainty No uncertainty has been specified
Data sets uncertainty No uncertainty has been specified
Rationale uncertainty
MAIN DISADVANTAGES OF THE INDICATOR
The indicator does not describe the quality of management or whether the areas are protected from incompatible uses. The indicator
needs to be complemented by information on management effectiveness or funding, or other elements that would indicate the potential of
the designated area in protecting biodiversity.
The spatial data and designation date data sets are not complete. A logistical problem is that information is generally held by a range of
different institutions, both governmental and non-governmental and simultaneous delivery of information on year, size, boundary or at least
approximate (latitude/longitude) location of protected areas requires constant efforts for information flow (currently maintained by the EEA
through its ETC/BD).
ANALYSIS OF OPTIONS
Initially, eight possible indicators were proposed under the Headline Indicator:
1. Trends in national establishment of protected areas
2. Trends in proposals for protected sites under the EU Habitats Directive
3. Trends in nomination of wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites)
4. Coverage of Important Bird Areas by protected areas
5. EU Habitats Directive: sufficiency of Member State proposals for protected sites
6. Indicator on infra-structural support for designated areas in Europe
7. Status of species and habitats in protected sites under the EU Habitats Directive
8. Indicator on private protected areas in Europe
Eventually, two indicators are being proposed (Nationally designated protected areas and Sites designated sites under the EU Habitats
and Birds Directives (a combination of 2 and 5 above)). The other indicators proposed were either not ready (e.g. 6 and 8), not
nationally recognised (e.g. 4) or are being covered under other headline indicators (e.g. 7).
Descriptive fact sheet
• DPSIR Driver Pressures State Impact Response
• Temporal coverage
• Geographical coverage
• Justification for indicator selection
Assessment fact sheet
Assessment fact sheet (1)
• Key policy question
• Key messages
• Key assessment
• Data sources
• Contacts and ownership
Assessment fact sheet (2)
Key messages
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The total area of nationally-designated protected areas in Europe (1) has increased over time. The
total area of nationally designated sites in 39 European countries was more than 1 million square
kilometres in 2009. In Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA countries), the area of
nationally designated sites is at least 1.5 million square kilometres. 1.2 million square kilometres can
be added to the area in the EECCA countries, the information about the year of the designation is
missing, however (2).
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This quantitative information needs to be complemented by a qualitative assessment of the efficiency
and the representativeness of the network of designated areas including good management practices.
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A "Nationally designated area" is an area designated by a national designation instrument based on
national legislation. If a country has included in its legislation the sites designated under the EU Birds
and Habitats directive, the Natura 2000 sites of this country are included in the figure.
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For 39 European countries, there is 0,037 km2 of additional designated areas but without any
information of designation year. For the EECCA countries, for 25 % of sites included in the database,
no size information is available.
Assessment fact sheet (3)
Key assessment
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In 39 countries, on average 16 % of the terrestrial area has been designated as a national protected
area (see map Centers of Nationally designated areas (CDDA), status 2009).
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The growth in nationally designated areas in 39 EEA countries has been exponential, and it has been
levelling off in recent years. A precise assessment of trends over time is much more difficult to make
for EECCA countries because of gaps in the data. These countries contain around 18000 sites
covering in total 2.6 million square kilometres. However, for more than 2 thirds of the sites no
designation date is known, and one fourth of the sites no size information is known.
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Countries have national legislation that enables them to establish various types of protected areas.
For nationally-designated protected areas, the total area protected in Europe continues to increase.
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On the one hand it is difficult to know exactly how far these areas contribute to halt the loss of
biodiversity without any specific information on site management as there is no common scheme of
quality monitoring and assessment for these sites. On the other hand, other indicators can show how
much pressure on biodiversity outside those areas increases through growing urbanisation and
transport infrastructures for instance.
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Therefore, the expansion of protected areas and their role in protecting biodiversity have to be
considered and assessed within the wider environment and with the climate change perspective.
EEA indicators publicly available online on EEA IMS
(Indicator Management System)
http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/nationallydesignated-protected-areas
More information, or comments?
Thank you!