More than 60 invited experts came together in Tróia, Portugal, to attend the EuropaBON showcases and co-design workshop between 16 and 20 April 2023 to discuss the policy showcases on workflows of selected Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) and ways towards the implementation of a European Biodiversity Observation Network. Participants included experts in biodiversity conservation, sampling design, research, monitoring and IT infrastructure, remote sensing, modelling and novel technologies.
The EuropaBON project works towards designing a monitoring scheme across Europe that harnesses the power of Essential Biodiversity Variables to integrate different reporting streams, data sources, and monitoring schemes, in order to deliver more complete and less biased biodiversity information to detect trends over time to inform policy and provide multiple benefits to users and society.
Inspired by the ocean, dunes, and estuary, and the unique and well preserved ecosystem of Tróia, the EuropaBON partners, together with Advisory Board members and external experts, started outlining the design of a network of sites to monitor EBVs across Europe.
Besides all the hard work, the programme also included a tour to the nearby Roman ruins, a friendly soccer game, and a dolphin-watch boat tour. The evenings were used by participants to split up into smaller groups to have more strategic meetings, as well as to socialise and enjoy the rich Portuguese cuisine.
The workshop was a great success that allowed the project team to kick-off the work for co-designing the EU-wide biodiversity monitoring system, which will be delivered to the European Commission by the end of the project.
EuropaBON looks forward to continuing to work with its stakeholders throughout the rest of the year to finalise the proposal of the new EU monitoring scheme and demonstrate the operationalization of EBVs for policy through the showcases.
The full set of presentations from the workshop are available here.
