Summary for Policymakers of the Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

Abstract

The thematic Assessment of Invasive Alien Species and their Control, or “Invasive Alien Species Assessment” in short, is part of a series of reports whose production was initiated during the “first work programme of IPBES, 2014 2018” and concluded during the current “IPBES rolling work programme up to 2030”. The Invasive Alien Species Assessment has been carried out by a multidisciplinary team of 86 selected experts from all regions of the world, including early career fellows, assisted by about 200 contributing authors. More than 13,000 scientific publications were analyzed as well as a substantive body of Indigenous and local knowledge. Its chapters were accepted, and its summary for policymakers was approved, by the IPBES Plenary composed of 143 member States at its tenth session held from 28th August to 2nd September 2023 in Bonn, Germany. The Invasive Alien Species Assessment builds on the landmark IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services launched in 2019. The Global Assessment identified invasive alien species as a one of the five main direct drivers of biodiversity loss, with 1 million species of plants and animals now at risk of extinction. The Invasive Alien Species Assessment explores how invasive alien species affect nature and people globally. It analyzes the status and trends of alien and invasive alien species in all regions of Earth, and identifies major pathways for and drivers of the introduction and spread of such species between and within countries. The Assessment also assesses the effectiveness of management actions across scales and in various contexts. The Invasive Alien Species Assessment finally outlines key responses and policy options for the prevention, early detection, and effective control of invasive alien species and mitigation of their impacts in order to safeguard nature, nature’s contributions to people and good quality of life.