Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Overview of Reports

The MA synthesized information from the scientific literature and relevant peer-reviewed datasets and models. It incorporated knowledge held by the private sector, practitioners, local communities, and indigenous peoples. The MA did not aim to generate new primary knowledge, but instead sought to add value to existing information by collating, evaluating, summarizing, interpreting, and communicating it in a useful form.

Living Beyond Our Means: Natural Assets and Human Well-being (Statement of the MA Board)

The Board of Directors governing the MA process has developed an interpretation of the key messages to emerge from the assessment. Online version Board Statement Download now http://www.millenniumassessment.org/documents/document.429.aspx.pdf

More about the Board statement

This statement was developed by the Board governing the MA process, whose membership includes representatives from U.N. organizations, governments through a number of international conventions, nongovernmental organizations, academia, business, and indigenous peoples. See full list of Board members.

The statement from the Board identifies 10 key messages and conclusions that can be drawn from the assessment:

Everyone in the world depends on nature and ecosystem services to provide the conditions for a decent, healthy, and secure life.

Humans have made unprecedented changes to ecosystems in recent decades to meet growing demands for food, fresh water, fiber, and energy.

These changes have helped to improve the lives of billions, but at the same time they weakened nature’s ability to deliver other key services such as purification of air and water, protection from disasters, and the provision of medicines.

Among the outstanding problems identified by this assessment are the dire state of many of the world’s fish stocks; the intense vulnerability of the 2 billion people living in dry regions to the loss of ecosystem services, including water supply; and the growing threat to ecosystems from climate change and nutrient pollution.

Human activities have taken the planet to the edge of a massive wave of species extinctions, further threatening our own well-being.

The loss of services derived from ecosystems is a significant barrier to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals to reduce poverty, hunger, and disease.

The pressures on ecosystems will increase globally in coming decades unless human attitudes and actions change.

Measures to conserve natural resources are more likely to succeed if local communities are given ownership of them, share the benefits, and are involved in decisions.

Even today’s technology and knowledge can reduce considerably the human impact on ecosystems. They are unlikely to be deployed fully, however, until ecosystem services cease to be perceived as free and limitless, and their full value is taken into account.

Better protection of natural assets will require coordinated efforts across all sections of governments, businesses, and international institutions. The productivity of ecosystems depends on policy choices on investment, trade, subsidy, taxation, and regulation, among others.

Synthesis Reports The first set of products presenting the findings of the assessment consists of one over-arching synthesis and 5 others that interpret the MA findings for specific audiences. The MA, World Resources Institute, and Island Press published these reports. Online version Printed versions from Island Press Ecosystems & Human Well-being: Synthesis Download now Order now Ecosystems & Human Well-being: Biodiversity Synthesis Download now N/A Ecosystems & Human Well-being: Desertification Synthesis Download now N/A Ecosystems & Human Well-being: Opportunities & Challenges for Business & Industry Download now Download Business and Industry Sector Perspectives N/A Ecosystems & Human Well-being: Wetlands & Water Download now N/A Ecosystems & Human Well-being: Health Synthesis Download now N/A More about the synthesis reports

Global & Multiscale Assessment Reports A third set of reports, comprised of about 32 official and associated sub-global assessments were released from late 2005 to 2006, and were published by the sub-global assessment teams themselves. Reports on the assessment of southern Africa were released in September 2004. Online version Printed versions from Island Press Current State and Trends View chapters Order now Scenarios View chapters Order now Policy Responses View chapters Order now Multiscale Assessments View chapters Order now Our Human Planet (Summary for Decision Makers) Order now Five-Volume Set Order now More about the global assessment reports More about the multiscale assessments

Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: A Framework for Assessment In late 2003, the MA and Island Press published “Ecosystems and Human Well-being: A Framework for Assessment.” The book lays out the assumptions, processes and parameters that were used in the MA. Online version Printed versions from Island Press Ecosystems and Human Well-being View chapters Order now More about the conceptual framework report Contents