Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
A UN-funded study of the state of ecosystem services around the world. It is the most extensive and accurate study of its kind. Launched in 2001 and completed in March 2005, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment reports on habitat status, fishing, coral reefs, forests, water use, atmospheric carbon and temperature, weather, land use, and population.
More than 1300 scientists from 95 countries synthesized research, data, and models from a variety of sources to develop a set of 15 report as well as scenarios.
Accelerating changes humans have made to the ecosystem are creating high risks for people and businesses as well as some opportunities.
www.millenniumassessment.org
The MA report found that over the past 50 years the planet’s biodiversity has been severely compromised. Although methods for reversing this damage exist, implementation would require significant policy and practice changes that have not yet occurred.
Although the report has not been updated since 2005, its findings are available for free in an online resource entitled: A Toolkit for Understanding and Action: Protecting Nature’s Services. Protecting Ourselves. The toolkit summarizes the report and provides examples of how people around the world have used the MA to protect our natural systems.