Welcome to the World Data Center for Biodiversity and Ecology (WDCBE) collaborative web site project with the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Working in conjunction with partners at the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), the UNEP- World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC), and the the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII). We are developing an interactive system that will allow easy access to reports, maps and the data collected during the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment global evaluation of ecosystems. The WDCBE is committed to providing the long-term support for a system that provides access to vital information on the world's ecosystems. Ultimately, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment information on this site will form the baseline for future assessments of the earth's ecosystems by scientists, managers, policy-makers, educators, and the public.



We hope you will find this system easy-to-use as you to explore the wealth of information available about the Earth's ecosystems.

The Desertification Synthesis report integrates findings of the MA related to current state and future trends of desertification and its impacts on ecosystems and human well-being, and is organized around a set of key information needs identified by the CCD.

The Wetlands and Water Synthesis, synthesizing the findings of the MA on inland, coastal, and near-shore marine wetlands, is the key product of the MA for the Ramsar Convention.

The Health Synthesis report looks as how ecosystem change and how various management decisions affect human health. The report considers the role of ecosystems in achieving the Millennium Development Goals with a particular focus on health.

The Opportunities and Challenges for Business and Industry report synthesizes the take-home messages of the MA for the business community throughout the industrial and developing world.