We are thrilled to announce ARIES’ active involvement in the newly launched World Ecosystem Extent Dynamics (WEED) project! This ambitious initiative, brought together by VITO, iDiv, BC3, and IIASA officially kicked off on September 2, 2024, at ESA’s ESRIN facility in Italy. ARIES, through its work at BC3, will play a critical role in developing innovative tools to support global efforts in ecosystem mapping and monitoring.
This isn’t ARIES’ first collaboration with major partners in Earth Observation (EO) projects. Previously, ARIES worked alongside ESA and VITO on the PEOPLE-EA project, which focused on integrating EO with ecosystem accounting. Building on that expertise, ARIES will now help create a state-of-the-art, open-source toolkit for WEED. This toolkit will enable users to track the extent and temporal changes of terrestrial, freshwater, and coastal ecosystems, providing real-time data to support global conservation efforts.
The WEED project aims to enhance understanding of ecosystem dynamics and support key environmental policy frameworks, including the Global Biodiversity Framework, SEEA Ecosystem Accounting, Ramsar Convention, SDGs, and the Paris Agreement on climate action.
Upcoming Presentation at the 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16)
As part of its outreach, the WEED project will be featured at the 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Colombia, in a session titled “Building Capacities in Countries to Map and Monitor Ecosystem Distribution.” The session will include ARIES NCA Officer Alessio Bulckaen as a participant.
Stay tuned for further updates as the WEED project progresses, and join us in supporting a sustainable future for ecosystems worldwide!
