Background
Biodiversity encompasses the entire variety of life on Earth. It is vital for human survival and is a key measure of the health of our planet. Human activities are irreversibly impacting biodiversity. In all regions of the world species extinction rates have increased, ecosystems have been degraded, and genetic diversity has declined.
In response to this situation, the international community agreed “to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at global, regional and national level as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to the benefit of all life on Earth.” This '2010 Biodiversity Target' was adopted by governments in 2002 at the 6th Conference of the Parties (COP 6) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
An essential part of reaching the 2010 biodiversity target was being able to measure and communicate progress. For this purpose the CBD adopted a framework in 2004, which included the use of a range of biodiversity indicators to measure progress towards the 2010 target. In 2006 this framework was further elaborated and the '2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership was established, as a global initiative to further develop and promote indicators for the consistent monitoring and assessment of biodiversity. The 2010 BIP wasd established with major support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
Read more about this topic: Biodiversity Indicators Partnership
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—Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)