Indicators and Assessments
Global environmental agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have set stringent goals for the conservation of biodiversity. Scientifically robust biodiversity indicators are required to track progress towards these goals, to define the status and trends of biodiversity, and to measure human impact on the planet.
The Indicators and Assessments (IAU) unit, a joint initiative between the Institute of Zoology and Conservation Programmes, was formed in 2006 for exactly this purpose. Its projects provide vital science to inform global policy for the CBD 2020 strategic plan.
Sampled Red List Index
The Sampled Red List Index looks at the rate of global biodiversity loss by tracking changes in extinction risk through time.
It will broaden the taxonomic coverage of The IUCN Red List to improve our understanding of biodiversity trends and inform the direction of conservation attention.
National Red List
National Red Lists are used to assess the risk of extinction to species within a management unit and can feed directly into national and regional conservation planning.
Developed with the help of ZSL, the National Red List website is the first centralised source of national-level biodiversity data.
Publications and Staff
A library of the most recent scientific publications, books, reports and presentations from the Indicators and Assessments Unit.
The Indicators and Assessments Unit is comprised of 20 full time staff across 5 projects. Find out about the unit's members, past and present.
Latest News
Our latest publication, involving more than 200 researchers, shows that 19% of the world’s reptiles are threatened with extinction.
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The Indicators and Assessments Unit recently hosted international dung beetle experts to assess the Red List status of 272 species.
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Living Planet Index
The Living Planet Index is a measure of the state of the world’s biological diversity based on vertebrate population trends from around the world.
The LPI has been adopted by the Convention on Biological Diversity as an indicator of progress towards its 2011-2020 targets.
Wildlife Picture Index
The Wildlife Picture Index is being developed to measure success of species conservation in protected areas at national, regional and global scales.
This innovative approach is based on new camera trapping techniques, and is being piloted in several sites in Liberia and Mongolia.
Collaborations
