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| Diversitas | |
|---|---|
| Name | Diversitas |
| Formation | 1991 |
| Type | International research program |
| Purpose | Biodiversity science and policy integration |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
| Region served | Global |
| Parent organization | International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme |
Diversitas
Diversitas was an international research program established to coordinate biodiversity science with policy applications. It connected researchers, institutions, and policymakers across continents to address biodiversity change, conservation, and sustainable use through interdisciplinary initiatives. The program linked natural and social science communities with intergovernmental bodies to translate scientific findings into decision-making contexts.
Diversitas convened scholars and institutions concerned with biodiversity from inception, fostering collaborations among figures associated with United Nations Environment Programme, Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Convention on Biological Diversity, World Bank, and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Its remit intersected with research agendas championed by leaders affiliated with International Union for Conservation of Nature, Global Environment Facility, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, World Conservation Monitoring Centre, and Royal Society. Diversitas prioritized synthesis and scenario-building activities similar to those pursued by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, European Commission, and national agencies like National Science Foundation and Natural Environment Research Council.
Founded in 1991 as part of initiatives associated with International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, Diversitas emerged amid global policy momentum following events such as the Rio Earth Summit and the signing of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Early supporters included scientists linked to International Council for Science, Global Biodiversity Information Facility, Smithsonian Institution, Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, and research centers like CSIRO and French National Centre for Scientific Research. Over time Diversitas formed working groups and task forces with participation from scholars connected to Harvard University, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Stanford University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Australian National University, and Max Planck Society.
Diversitas set objectives to integrate biodiversity knowledge into societal choices, similar to programs by Conservation International, BirdLife International, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, and Fauna & Flora International. Core programs addressed topics resembling those tackled by Global Invasive Species Programme, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, Essential Biodiversity Variables, and Group on Earth Observations. Initiatives targeted biodiversity observations, scenario development, and capacity building, engaging networks such as Network of Conservation Educators and Practitioners, Society for Conservation Biology, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, and regional partners like IUCN South America Initiative, African Academy of Sciences, and Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research.
Governance of Diversitas involved international steering committees and advisory boards with representatives drawn from institutions like University of California, Berkeley, University of São Paulo, Indian Institute of Science, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, and University of Cape Town. Partnerships extended to policy platforms including United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change stakeholders, funding bodies such as Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, European Research Council, and intergovernmental actors like Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Collaborative links reached museums and herbaria including Natural History Museum, London, Field Museum, Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, and data infrastructures like Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
Diversitas facilitated research synergies that informed major assessments and treaties, contributing to outputs utilized by entities like Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Convention on Biological Diversity, World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization, and International Union for Conservation of Nature. Its scientific networks supported studies related to topics prominent in journals published by Nature Publishing Group, Science (journal), Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and research centers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Work associated with Diversitas contributed to frameworks paralleling IPBES assessments, influenced monitoring approaches akin to Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network, and underpinned modeling collaborations with groups at INRAE, CSIRO, and Macaulay Land Use Research Institute.
Funding for Diversitas came from a mix of governmental agencies and philanthropic foundations similar to contributors such as European Commission Horizon 2020, National Science Foundation, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, UK Research and Innovation, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, and private donors like Wellcome Trust. Governance structures mirrored models used by International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme with periodic international conferences hosted in cities like Paris, Cape Town, Beijing, and Washington, D.C. and oversight from panels comprising nominees from International Council for Science and regional academies including Royal Society and Academia Sinica.
Critiques of Diversitas echoed debates faced by global science programs such as Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, including concerns raised by commentators affiliated with Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and academic critics at University of California, Santa Cruz and University of Leicester about inclusivity, representation of indigenous knowledge linked to organizations like International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, and the applicability of scenarios for decision-makers in forums such as Convention on Biological Diversity meetings. Controversies touched on funding allocation debates analogous to disputes involving Global Environment Facility and tensions between conservation priorities championed by World Wildlife Fund and development agendas promoted by multilateral lenders like International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
Category:Biodiversity