Red List review workshop for the global assessment of freshwater fishes. © Ben Collen, ZSL
The plumed basilisk (Basiliscus plumifrons). © Mala Ram, ZSL
The Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation provided a grant of £92,400 in 2007/08.
Sound Science for Sound Decision Making
Delivering the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ and Global Biodiversity Indicators: Sound Science for Sound Decision-making, is a collaborative project between the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Established in 1826, the mission of ZSL is to achieve and promote the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. IUCN is the world’s largest conservation network; more than 1,000 member organisations and 10,000 experts solving our planet’s greatest challenges, together.
The support of The Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation has been critical to the success of this continuing collaborative project, which seeks to evaluate and communicate the status and trends of the world’s biodiversity. Work funded in 2007/8 produced:
• The annual update of the 2007 Red List.
• A CD-ROM version of the Red List accessible to those without internet access.
• A more broad geographic and taxonomic coverage of Red Listed species, to enable a clearer view of the status and trends of biodiversity.
These findings feed into a number of different international processes. One of the most important is the Convention on Biological Diversity target, to significantly reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by the year 2010. One hundred and ninety nations have committed to this target, which recognises that people depend on biodiversity for their livelihoods, and biodiversity loss due to human activities is growing. This project provides integral information to assess progress towards such goals; communicates findings to general public, scientists, and policy-makers; increases the coverage of the Red List, and tracks the fate of these species; providing sound science, for sound decision-making.
Visit the Zoological Society of London website.