It is one of SANBI’s compulsory functions under the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) to monitor and report on the status of South Africa’s biodiversity.

The South African National Biodiversity Institute is leading the work on biodiversity indicators.

Through a series of consultative workshops involving a wide range of stakeholders, including experts in various fields.

Our framework is based broadly on the PSR (Pressure State Response) framework and highlights all the important areas to be monitored. The overall structure of the framework is as follows:

Through a consultative process, we developed extensive lists of indicators that could possible be used to monitor each aspect identified in the framework. These indicators are now being systematically selected and populated with data. Currently we are actively populating the following indicators:

• Area planted under GMOs
• Biodiversity Intactness Index
• Coastal Habitat loss
• Ecosystem status
• Number of GMOs commercially released
• Number of invasive alien species
• Number of threatened species
• River ecological integrity
• Terrestrial Habitat Loss

Data collection is only undertaken for indicators that are practically measurable. Indicators are being prioritised according to those that help us meet our national legal mandates and those that assist in tracking progress to the 2010 target. We plan to add another three indicators per year over the next three years, as well as continually updating these indicators.
 

The indicators are available online. In addition, from 2010 onwards, an annual indicator report will be produced and submitted to the Minister of Environmental Affairs for him to present as per our national mandate.

To increase the number of indicators measured and broaden the aspects of our framework that we cover. To fine-tune our reporting and begin producing annual indicator reports.