On 28 September 2006 the workshop ‘Aggregating biodiversity indices for policy purposes – sense or nonsense?’, which is part of the ALTER-Net project, will be held in Brussels.

For years there has been a debate among scientists and between scientists and policymakers/politicians on the usefulness of aggregating biodiversity parameters and indicators into indices. Scientists are concerned with detail, reliability, replicability, accuracy, etc. (in indicator criteria mostly summarized to 'sound science') whereas high-level politicians are interested in the broad picture, the key message, preferably a value of biodiversity condensed in one figure on a scale from 0 to 10.

The ALTER-Net team has investigated this dilemma by reviewing existing indices, their value for reporting on progress of achieving the 2010 target (CBD, EU and pan-Europe) and their robustness from the perspective of science. For doing so, apart from a literature analysis, interviews have been held with the producers and the users of selected biodiversity indices. Within the project, the possibility of using data of the long-term ecosystem research platform (LTER) sites to feed into these existing indices has also been studied. As a result of this project, a peer-reviewed paper which tackles these issues is being produced and will be presented at the workshop. It is foreseen that the outcome of the paper will provide concrete action-orientated recommendations for those developing indices or state-of-nature reports.

Despite the existence of many biodiversity indices, the European Commission has called for the development of a European Biodiversity Index. At the workshop, an EC representative will present the purpose of developing such an index, why it is needed, and what is expected from it.

Another component of the workshop will be how to communicate biodiversity indices to the policymakers and the general public and examples of how to bring the message across.

The workshop will bring together producers of biodiversity indices, scientists, policymakers and experts on communication. The ALTER-Net team will also be present.

Contact person: Ana Nieto, ECNC (nieto@ecnc.org)