Indicator 6.6.1 “Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time”

The indicator at a glance

Indicator 6.6.1 tracks changes over time in:

Spatial extent of water-related ecosystems and inland open waters
Quantity of water in ecosystems
Quality of water in ecosystems (see indicator 6.3.2)

It is also recommended that countries incorporate a component on ecosystem health in their ecosystem monitoring programme, which is commonly measured through biological indicators. The point of reference for “change over time” is the natural condition, i.e. before large-scale impacts were experienced by the ecosystem.

Data on ecosystem are collected by line ministries and institutions (e.g. for Environment, Water, Natural Resources), universities and research institutions, NGOs and citizens’ science initiatives (ground-based surveys) and space agencies (Earth observations).

For the component on change in spatial extent of inland open waters, a global data set has been derived based on earth observations (for all countries and water basins).

Available support 2019-2022

UNEP is the custodian of indicator 6.6.1. For any inquiries about available support, please contact their helpdesk.

Guidance on data collection and reporting

Monitoring methodology (updated version available in March 2020)
Data collection process and timeline

Online support

Helpdesk (email, phone, video conference)
Training videos (available in March 2020)
Fact sheets (available in March 2020)

Face-to-face support

National workshops in selected countries

Data and progress reporting

Tagged

6.6, 6.6.1, Ecosystems, Methodology, Reporting, and Support