About SGAN

The Sub-Global Assessment Network (SGAN) is a community of practice, creating a common platform for ecosystem assessment practitioners at sub-global scales (regional, sub-regional, national, sub-national) with the intention to build capacity through:

Training opportunities relating to tools, approaches and assessment processes
Capturing, synthesising and disseminating examples of best practices and lessons learnt
Developing e-learning tools
Encouraging and supporting exchanges between and amongst SGAs to share experiences
Supporting national level ecosystem assessments
Helping to build links with the scientific community

The SGAN through its capacity building activities aims to support the activities of relevant global process such as the Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the biodiversity-related Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).

History and Governance

In 2007, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in collaboration with a consortium of partners, convened a network of sub-global assessments (SGA Network) in an effort to provide ongoing support to SGAs catalyzed either during the course of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment or in its wake. Since 2007, there has been a significant increase in the number of SGA initiatives emerging around the world. Members of the SGAN currently represent over 70 sub-global assessments. The need for greater emphasis to be placed on building the capacity of ecosystem assessment practitioners to undertake SGAs has been made clear, in part through their role in supporting regional and global assessments under IPBES.

SGAN seeks opportunities to collaborate with initiatives working in the field of ecosystem service assessments and decision-making, such as Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP) and The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB).

The SGAN Secretariat is has been hosted by UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge since 2011. The Network also has an Advisory Committee who provides oversight and guidance into the work programme of the Network.

Funder logos

The SGAN and its Secretariat is supported by: