Call for nominations for experts for the methodological assessment of integrated biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning and ecological connectivity

Notifica IPBES EM/2024/45

The IPBES Plenary, in decision IPBES/10/1, approved the undertaking of the methodological assessment of integrated biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning and ecological connectivity (“spatial planning assessment”).

The spatial planning assessment will address the use and change in use of land, inland waters and sea, including areas beyond national jurisdiction. It will provide options for avoiding land and sea use change that negatively affects biodiversity and options for improving planning for effective conservation, restoration and sustainable use of nature and its contributions to people across spatial and temporal scales.

In accordance with decision IPBES-10/1 and the procedures for the preparation of IPBES deliverables, the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel herewith invites Governments and other relevant stakeholders to nominate experts to participate in the spatial planning assessment.

The assessment will be conducted in line with the procedures for IPBES deliverables set out in decision IPBES-3/3, annex I (available here) and based on the scoping report for the assessment (available here).

IPBES is seeking experts and practitioners from academia, government, and civil society with expertise in:

A range of disciplines, including but not limited to geography, ecology, conservation science (including protected area designation), land and water systems science, spatial planning, urban planning, architecture, law, political science and economics;
The application of spatial planning methodologies and related planning and management approaches in relation to biodiversity and nature's contributions to people, in terrestrial (including inland waters) and marine systems, including land and sea planning, environmental impact assessment, economic and social zoning, community planning, land and sea use frameworks, and governance frameworks for integrated planning and management;
The pertinence, effectiveness and limitations of existing methods, guidance, tools, scenarios, models, data, knowledge and capacity building for promoting connectivity and integrating biodiversity in spatial planning, across sectors and scales;
The trade-offs and synergies between different types of spatial planning methodologies and of land, inland waters and sea use;
Methodologies for promoting participatory approaches to spatial planning (including those involving Indigenous Peoples and local communities);
The ecological requirements of migratory and wide-ranging species, complex species communities and diverse ecosystem processes;
Ecological restoration to recover and enhance biodiversity and ecological connectivity to support ecosystem resilience, climate change adaptation and sustainable livelihoods and associated methodologies and approaches;
The development or application of scenarios of spatial planning regarding synergies and trade-offs in the biodiversity-food-water-health-climate-energy nexus;
Capacity, financial and technological implementation needs for spatial planning and ecological connectivity interventions.

Governments and relevant stakeholders are invited to ensure gender balance in their nominations.

All nominated experts (Nominees) need to be available to attend the relevant author meetings, with the first author meeting tentatively scheduled for August 2025.

All Governments and relevant organizations or institutions are encouraged to submit nominations. Nominating organizations or institutions are not required to have been admitted to the Plenary of IPBES as an observer.

Please follow the below procedure for nomination:

Nominees are invited to complete the application form and attach their curriculum vitae through the dedicated web portal at https://www.ipbes.net/spatial-planning-assessment/experts-application (to access this page you will need to login with your IPBES website log in credentials. Nominees not yet registered on the IPBES website will need to do so at https://ipbes.net/user/register ). Please note that the nomination form is in English only and applications should be submitted in English, as the assessment process will be conducted in English;
The nominating government or organization (Nominator) indicated by the Nominee will receive an email with a link to the nomination form and will be invited to approve and submit the nominations in the web portal;
Nominators and Nominees will receive confirmation via email once the nomination has been submitted.
Nominators and Nominees will receive confirmation via email once the nomination has been submitted.

Experts wishing to be nominated by a Government are encouraged to contact their IPBES National Focal Point (https://www.ipbes.net/national-focal-points ) regarding any country specific processes or deadlines and are requested to fill out their application form by 10 January 2025. Interested experts are highly encouraged to review the information document summarizing IPBES assessment conditions and roles prior to submitting their application (available here).

Riferimenti del National Focal Point (NFP):

Lorenzo Ciccarese, NFP: lorenzo.ciccarese@isprambiente.it

Valeria Giovannelli, Deputy NFP: valeria.giovannelli@isprambiente.it

Silvia Giardina, Deputy NFP: giardina.silvia@mase.gov.it