Freshwater ecosystems host a disproportionate amount of global biodiversity
FutureLakes member Bryan Spears, UKCEH, with contribution to new UN report on how to enable consistent reporting and monitoring for freshwater restoration.
A new FAO report, titled “Enabling consistent reporting and monitoring for freshwater (inland waters) restoration under Target 2 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework” has been published. The report was written with contributions from FutureLakes Team Member and WP5 Lead Bryan Spears at UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.
As per the report synopsis, the publication provides guidance for reporting on the restoration of freshwaters (including lakes) under Target 2 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It introduces a definition of “area under restoration” tailored to the unique characteristics of freshwater ecosystems and outlines key considerations for monitoring restoration efforts.
By promoting consistent and coherent reporting, the guidelines aim to support countries in tracking progress, enhancing ecological outcomes, and ensuring that these critical, but often overlooked, ecosystems are effectively restored and maintained.
This report and the follow-on work will provide crucial context to the FutureLakes project as we consider prioritising opportunities for restoration upscaling from ecosystem to European scales, in the context of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.