Red List of Ecosystems (RLE)

Description

The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems will be a global standard for assessing the status of ecosystems. It is able to identify which ecosystems are not currently facing significant risks of collapse, and which ones are "Vulnerable", "Endangered", or "Critically Endangered." This is measured by assessing losses in area, degradation, conversion, and other major changes (e.g. climate disruption). 

Where it has been used

Venezuela

Australia

(Case studies here)

How the tool is used for implementing a landscape approach

The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems is a valuable planning tool for different sectors, including for:

a). Global Environmental Reporting: to inform governments and the global community on progress towards achievement of the Aichi targets under the Convention on Biological Diversity;

b). Conservation: to help prioritize investments in ecosystem management and restoration, reforms of resource use practices, and as a means of rewarding good ecosystem management;

c). Natural resource management (land and water) and macro-economic planning: to highlight risks faced by ecosystems under current and potential land use and development scenarios, and potential effects on services such as clean water, soil productivity, pollination, and the availability of natural products. The globally accepted standards will enable macro-economic planners to evaluate risks of ecosystem collapse and the related economic costs of reduced ecosystem services, or, conversely, the potential economic benefits of improved ecosystem management;

d). Disaster risk reduction: by assessing which ecosystems are at severe risk, will provide guidance as to the potential for a disaster at some point in the future, and so be one means for disaster risk reduction;

e). Improvement of governance and livelihoods: to inform development of governance systems in ways that improves ecosystem management, livelihood security and social outcomes;

f). Private sector: a means for assessing potential environmental and social benefits and costs of alternative designs of future development projects as well as for monitoring and reporting on environmental impacts.