www.fao.org/globalsoilpartnership This presentation was made during the 5th ITPS working session that took place at FAO HQ, Rome - Italy on 14-18 March 2016. This presentation was made by Anastasia Brainich and it presents Review and planning of activities with IPBES © FAO: http://www.fao.org

1. Review and planning of activities with
IPBES
AnastasiaBrainich-IPBESSecretariat

2. • Introduction to IPBES
• Land degradation and Restoration
Assessment (LDRA)
• How to get involved in the science-
policy interface
Structure of presentation

3. Establishment of IPBES
• Established in April 2012, Panama
• Objective: To strengthen the science-policy interface for
biodiversity and ecosystem services for the conservation and
sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human well-being
and sustainable development
• Currently 124
Members
• Secretariat hosted
in Bonn, Germany
Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

4. 4 functions of IPBES
IPBES was established with four agreed functions:
• Assessment
Deliver global, regional and thematic assessments
on biodiversity and ecosystem services
• Policy support
tools
Identify policy relevant tools/methodologies, facilitate
their use, and promote and catalyse their further
development
• Capacity
building
Prioritize key capacity building needs, and provide
and call for financial and other support for priority
needs
• Knowledge
generation
Identify knowledge needs of policymakers, and
catalyse efforts to generate new knowledge

5. Secretariat (including Technical Support Units)
facilitate and support process
Multidisciplinary Expert Panel (MEP)
Responsible for carrying out the scientific and
technical functions of the work programme
Bureau
Responsible for overseeing the
administrative functions of IPBES
Plenary: Decision-making body
Responsible for the overall work programme, working through Bureau and MEP
Task forces on capacity-building,
knowledge and data, and indigenous
and local knowledge
Expert groups for assessments,
policy support tools and other studies
Key structures of IPBES
Nomination / Peer-Review by Experts, Governments, Stakeholders and
Organizations

6. IPBES Conceptual Framework

7. Díaz et al. 2015 Plos Biology 13(1)
Díaz et al. 2015 COSUST 14
IPBES Conceptual Framework

8. Structure of the
work programme
Objective 1: Strengthen the capacity and knowledge foundations of
the science-policy interface to implement key IPBES functions
Objective 2:
Regional and global
assessments
Objective 3:
Thematic and methodo-
logical assessments
Objective 4: Communicate and evaluate
IPBES activities, deliverables and findings

9. Objective 4 Communicate and evaluate Platform activities, deliverables and findings:
a) Catalogue of relevant assessments
b) Development of an information and data management plan
c) Catalogue of policy support tools and methodologies
d) Set of communication, outreach and engagement strategies, products and processes
e) Reviews of the effectiveness of guidance, procedures, methods and approaches to inform future development of the Platform
Objective 1 Strengthen the capacity and knowledge foundations of the science-policy
interface to implement key functions of the Platform:
a) Priority capacity-building-needs to implement the Platform work programme are matched with resources through catalysing financial and in-kind
support
b) Capacities needed to implement the Platform work programme are developed with support provided by network on capacity-building
c) Procedures and approaches for working with indigenous and local knowledge systems
d) Priority knowledge and data needs for policy-making are addressed through catalysing efforts to generate new knowledge and networking
Objective 2 Strengthen the
SPI across the subregional,
regional and global levels:
a) Guide on production and integration of
assessments from and across all scales
b) Regional/Subregional assessments on
biodiversity and ecosystem services
c) Global assessment on biodiversity and
ecosystem services
Objective 3 Strengthen the SPI regarding
thematic and methodological issues:
a) Thematic assessment on pollination and food production
b) Thematic assessments on land degradation and restoration; on invasive alien
species; and on sustainable use.
c) Policy support tools and methodologies for scenarios analysis and modelling of
biodiversity and ecosystem services based on an assessment and a guide
d) Policy support tools and methodologies regarding the diverse conceptualization
of value of biodiversity and ecosystem services based on an assessment and a
guide
4 Objectives and 18 Deliverables

10. • Introduction to IPBES
• Land Degradation and Restoration
Assessment (LDRA)
• How to get involved in the science-
policy interface
Structure of presentation

11. Land Degradation and
Restoration Assessment
At the second session of the Plenary (IPBES-2) held in
Antalya, Turkey (December 2013) member States approved
the initiation of scoping for a thematic assessment of land
degradation and restoration (LDR)
The expert group met in Beijing (September 2014), to develop
the scoping document
Approved the assessment of land degradation and
restoration, to be delivered at IPBES 6 (early 2018)
(Decision IPBES-3/1, January 2015)

12. Selection of Experts
- Follows the decision IPBES-2/3 and decision IPBES-2/5
- Following the approval of Plenary of a scoping document,
the MEP requested nominations from Governments and
invite relevant stakeholders to present names of experts to
assist with the scoping/assessment
- Experts are selected based on their expertise, knowledge
and credentials on specific issues
- Experts reflect a range of scientific, technical and socio-
economic views + geographical representation; diversity of
knowledge systems; & gender balance.

13. Expert Group:
 2 Co-Chairs: Robert Scholes and Luca Montanarella
 18 Coordinating Lead Authors (CLAs)
 26 Lead Authors (LAs)
plus
 38 LDR Lead Authors in Regional/Subregional assessments (9-10
in each: Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Central Asia)
Time schedule:
 Start at IPBES-3 in January 2015
 3 Authors Meeting in September 2015, August 2016, July 2017
 Finalisation at IPBES-6 in March 2018
LDR Assessment

14. Scope
- Degraded land: the state of land which results from the
persistent decline or loss in biodiversity and ecosystem functions
and services that cannot fully recover unaided within decadal
time scales
- Land degradation: the many processes that drive the decline or
loss in biodiversity, ecosystem functions or services, and
includes the degradation of all terrestrial ecosystems (incl.
associated aquatic ecosystems that are impacted by land
degradation)
- Restoration: any intentional activity that initiates or accelerates
the recovery of an ecosystem from a degraded state
- Rehabilitation: restoration activities that may fall short of fully
restoring the biotic community to its pre-degradation state,
including natural regeneration and emergent ecosystems.

15. Approved Chapter structure
• Chapter 1- Benefits to people from avoidance of land degradation
and restoration of degraded land
• Chapter 2 - Concepts and perceptions of land degradation and
restoration
• Chapter 3: Direct and indirect drivers of land degradation and
restoration
• Chapter 4. Status and trends of land degradation and restoration
and associated changes in biodiversity and ecosystem functions
• Chapter 5: Land degradation and restoration associated with
changes in ecosystem services and functions, and human well-
being and good quality of life
• Chapter 6: Responses to avoid land degradation and restore
degraded land
• Chapter 7: Scenarios of land degradation and restoration
• Chapter 8: Decision support to address land degradation and
support restoration of degraded land

16. Geographic coverage of the
assessment
The assessment will encompass all the terrestrial regions
and biomes of the world, recognizing that land degradation
drivers and processes can vary in severity within regions
and countries as much as between them.
The assessment will encompass the full range of human-
altered systems, including but not limited to drylands,
agricultural and agroforestry systems, savannahs and
forests, and aquatic systems associated with these areas.

17. • Introduction to IPBES
• Land Degradation and Restoration
Assessment (LDRA)
• How to get involved in the science-
policy interface
Structure of presentation

18. • The land degradation assessment will identify as possible partners
organizations that can contribute their data and knowledge; provide in-
kind support; act as clients and users of the assessment; and provide
assistance at various stages, including by helping to review the
assessment. The partnerships entered into will mostly be informal, but a
limited number of strategic partnerships may be established.
• Collaboration will be developed, in particular with the United Nations
Convention to Combat Desertification, especially its science-policy
interface and its Committee on Science and Technology, as a key user of
and a key contributor to the assessment on land degradation.
Collaboration should also be developed with the Global Soil Partnership
and its Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils, which is to produce
a first report on the state of the world’s soil resources by 5 December
2015.
Strategic Partnership and
Initiatives

19. Already on-going:
 Assessment on Land Degradation and Restoration (LDR)
 4 Regional/Subregional assessments on BES
 Africa, Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Central Asia
Now starting:
 Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BES)
 Catalysing the further development of scenarios and models for
biodiversity and ecosystem services
Get Involved!

20. Get involved!
Global Assessment:
 -> Nominations of experts: March-May 2016 (10 weeks)
 Selection (by MEP): June 2016
 1st authors meeting: 15-19 August 2016
 …
Land Degradation and Restoration / Regional Assessments:
 -> 1st peer-review of Draft Assessment Report: 30 May – 11 July
2016 (6 weeks)
 2nd peer-review of Draft Assessment Report and SPM: May-June
2017 (8 weeks)

21. Get involved!
Catalysing the further development of scenarios and models for
biodiversity and ecosystem services:
 Developing scenarios & models for biodiversity and ecosystem
services
 building on shared socioeconomic pathways being catalysed by
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
 -> contributions will be sought for (participation or peer-review)

22. Assessment Process
Plenary Plenary
Expert group
SCOPING
EXPERTS
Bureau & MEP
Nomination
GOVERNMENTS
& STAKEHOLDERS
1 year
scoping assessment
Expert group
ASSESSMENT AUTHORS
& REVIEW EDITORS
Plenary
Bureau & MEP
Peer Review
EXPERTS
Peer Review
GOVERNMENTS
& EXPERTS
Nomination
GOVERNMENTS
& STAKEHOLDERS
3 years
writing assessment
Peer Review
GOVERNMENTS
& EXPERTS

23. Also…
Contributing Authors for LDRA:
Chapter 3 (drivers):
– Mineral resource extraction
– Infrastructure, industry, urbanization
Chapter 5 (ecosystem services):
– Regulation of waste and biochemical cycles
Chapter 7 (scenarios):
– Stock-taking of local scenarios
***Regions: Asia Pacific, Central Asia, Western Africa***

25. Chapter 3. Direct & indirect drivers of
LDR
- assess how LDR is the result of multiple drivers, involving both direct
anthropogenic and natural factors and interactions between them, as well as
underlying indirect drivers
- Direct drivers of degradation
- Direct drivers of restoration
- Indirect drivers of land degradation and restoration are related to institutions
and governance systems, as well as social, cultural, technological and economic
factors, including poverty, which underpin direct drivers, at the local to global
levels.
- assess the extent and severity of different drivers and how they vary within
and between different biomes, regions and land-use systems around the world.
- The assessment of direct drivers will include anthropogenic drivers at global,
national, regional and local scales, including human-driven climate change,
as well as natural drivers, and interactions between anthropogenic and natural
drivers. Particular attention will be paid to climate change and its interaction with
other anthropogenic drivers of land degradation, including interactions between
processes of land degradation and extreme weather events.

26. Chapter 5. LDR associated w/ changes in
ecosystem services and functions, HWB & good
QoL
- the impacts of LDR on changes to the delivery of nature’s benefits to
people, and the resultant impacts on QoL.
- will assess land degradation associated with the loss of benefits to
people including provisioning services, such as food production, quality
and quantity of water resources, & availability of raw materials, as well as
regulating, cultural services, and other aspects of nature, recognizing
diverse conceptualization of values of nature.
- will analyse changes in benefits to people in terms of the relative
contribution of biodiversity and ecosystem structure and functioning
- will consider the diverse costs of land degradation and benefits of
restoration for people, including the overall economic and non-economic
costs and benefits
- Will examine the type, extent and severity of these changes in
different social-ecological systems and under different land cover
and land management systems, including their implications for social
and ecological stability and resilience, and cultural integrity.

27. Chapter 7. Scenarios of land
degradation & restoration
- will explore the implications of a range of plausible
development scenarios, including the adoption of
different response options across multiple scales, and
their implications for land degradation and restoration
globally, including impacts on human well-being and
quality of life, and possible trade-offs between social,
economic and environmental objectives.
- Scenarios will be developed using information derived
from the assessment and work from across the IPBES
- will reveal the variation in plausible LDR futures that
depend on choices (with associated social and
economic implications) made at the landscape, regional,
national, regional and international scales to address
indirect and direct drivers, and introduce new
mechanisms to avoid land degradation, mitigate its
impacts, and rehabilitate and restore degraded sites.

28. More information in general:
 www.ipbes.net
More information on Land Degradation & Restoration Assessment
 Progress report on the implementation of the land degradation
and restoration assessment (IPBES/4/INF/11) (available online)
 Anastasia Brainich (providing technical support)
anastasia.brainich@ipbes.net
More information