City Biodiversity Index

The City Biodiversity Index, also known as the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity, measures biodiversity in cities, and highlights how biodiversity conservation efforts can be improved. The idea was proposed by then Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan at the Conference of Parties (COP) to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) held in Bonn, Germany, in 2008.¹ It was formulated by Singapore’s National Parks Board, in cooperation with the United Nations and a taskforce of international experts. The index was officially endorsed at the following COP in October 2010 as a self-assessment monitoring tool, and is the only index of its kind catering specifically to cities.²

Purpose
According to the UN, 50 percent of the world’s population was residing in cities in 2008, and the percentage is expected to rise to 70 percent by 2050.³ The City Biodiversity Index aims to serve as a self-assessment monitoring tool to promote better management of resources and conservation of biodiversity internationally. The index also serves as a platform through which cities can share solutions for conserving biodiversity and overcoming the problems of increased urbanisation, climate change and city planning and management.⁴

The index is regarded as the first tool of its kind designed specifically to gauge the biodiversity conservation efforts of cities. Other existing indices, such as the 2005 Environmental Sustainable Index and the 2008 Environmental Performance Index, are more suited for countries and not easily applicable to cities.⁵

Developments
Singapore is one of 193 countries that is party to the CBD, which was formed in 1993. The main goals of the CBD are to conserve biological diversity, ensure sustainable use of the components of biological diversity, and share the benefits of genetic resources.⁶ Initially held on an annual basis, the COP has met every two years since 1996 to discuss and make decisions in order to achieve the goals of the convention. At the COP in 2008, Mah proposed the idea of establishing a City Biodiversity Index under the guidance of the CBD.⁷

The effort to develop the index was a collaboration of Singapore’s National Parks Board (NParks), the United Nations (UN) and an international UN task force of experts on cities and biodiversity. The team was made up of 17 international experts from London, Germany, Stockholm, the UN, the CBD and Dr Lena Chan of NParks.⁸ From 2009, experiments were carried out as the index was developed. Over 30 cities around the world contributed towards its formulation and development by participating in various stages of tests. The results of these tests were subsequently used to further refine and improve the index.⁹

In October 2010, Mah presented the City Biodiversity Index at the COP in Nagoya, Japan. The index was formally adopted and implemented as part of the plan of action.¹⁰

Features
The Singapore Index has a total of 23 indicators that look at three main components: “Native Biodiversity in the City”, “Ecosystem Services Provided by Biodiversity”, and “Governance and Management of Biodiversity”.¹¹

Native biodiversity consists of 10 indicators, including natural and semi-natural areas, the diversity of ecosystems, fragmentation and five different native species, among others. Plants, birds and butterflies are set categories among the five different native species, leaving individual cities to identify another two native species most applicable to them.¹²

The ecosystem services index has four indicators: “Regulation of Quantity of Water”, “Climate Regulation: Carbon Storage and Cooling Effect of Vegetation”, “Recreation and Education: Area of Parks with Natural Areas; and “Recreation and Education: Number of Formal Education Visits per Child Below 16 Years to Parks with Natural Areas per Year”.¹³

The governance and management index refers to the policies and plans made with regard to biodiversity. There are nine indicators under governance, including outreach programmes, budget set aside for biodiversity projects, education, and collaboration with companies and charities.¹⁴ 

Singapore attained a score of 80 out of 100 in a preliminary test of the City Biodiversity Index, indicating that it fared well in terms of governance, but could improve in the area of ecosystem services. Freshwater supplies were also highlighted as an area for improvement.¹⁵

The index is intended as a positive indication of the biodiversity conservation efforts of cities, and aims to highlight areas in which these efforts can be improved. Cities are not ranked based on the results of the index.¹⁶

Timeline
May 2008: Then Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan proposes the idea of the City Biodiversity Index at the 9th Conference of Parties in Germany.¹⁷
Feb 2009: NParks and the secretariat of the CBD hold the first expert workshop on the development of the index.¹⁸
Jun 2009: The index is presented at an international forum for the first time.
Nov 2009: The user’s manual on the index is posted on the CBD website.
Jan 2010: Mah Bow Tan promotes the index at the 2nd Curitiba Meeting on Cities and Biodiversity.¹⁹
Mar 2010: The index is introduced at the East Asia Summit High Level Seminar on Environmentally Sustainable Cities meeting.²⁰
Apr 2010: The ASEAN workshop on City Biodiversity Index is held.²¹
May 2010: The Urban Biodiversity and Design 2010 conference is held in Nagoya, Japan.²²
Jun 2010: The World Cities Summit 2010 is held in Singapore.²³
Jul 2010: The 2nd Expert Workshop is held on the development of the City Biodiversity Index.²⁴
Oct 2010: The City Biodiversity Index is endorsed at the COP in Nagoya, Japan.²⁵



Author
Cherylyn Tok



References
1. Sheralyn Tay, “Bringing Wildlife Back To the City: S’pore’s Idea,” Today, 30 May 2008, 10; Victoria Vaughan, “Cities To Get Biodiversity Index,” Straits Times, 3 July 2010, 4. (From NewspaperSG)
2. Joanne Chan, “S’pore Leads Green Wave With Biodiversity Index,” Today, 2 November 2010, 7. (From NewspaperSG)
3. Vaughan, “Cities To Get Biodiversity Index.” 
4. Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Cities and Biodiversity Outlook: Action and Policy (Montreal: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, 2012), 53.
5. Sasha Rodricks, Singapore City Biodiversity Index, November 2010
6. “List of Parties,” Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, accessed 6 June 2017.  
7. Grace Chua, “S'pore To Develop Biodiversity Index,” Straits Times, 1 May 2009, 47. (From NewspaperSG)
8. Singapore. Ministry of National Development, “The Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity – Roadmap,” press release, 29 May 2008. (From National Archives of Singapore document no. 20100110001)
9. Rodricks, Singapore City Biodiversity Index, 4.
10. Singapore. Ministry of National Development, “Singapore Index To Be Endorsed in Nagoya,” press release, 27 October 2010. (From National Archives of Singapore document no. 20101103007)
11. “Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity,” National Parks Board, accessed 22 August 2017; Vaughan, “Cities To Get Biodiversity Index.” 
12. Hillel L. Chan et al., User’s Manual on the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity (Also Known As the City Biodiviertiy Index) (Singapore: National Heritage Board, 2014), 4; Vaughan, “Cities To Get Biodiversity Index.”
13. Chan et al., User’s Manual on the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity, 4.
14. Chan et al., User’s Manual on the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity, 4.
15. Vaughan, “Cities To Get Biodiversity Index.”
16. Vaughan, “Cities To Get Biodiversity Index.”
17. “Singapore Proposes Establishment of City Biodiversity Index,” Channel NewsAsia, 29 May 2008. (From Factiva via NLB’s eResources website)
18. Chan et al., User’s Manual on the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity, 35.
19. Felda Chay, “Share Solutions, Mah Urges World’s Cities,” Business Times, 8 January 2010, 10. (From NewspaperSG)
20. “The City Biodiversity Index: High Level Seminar on Environmentally Sustainable Cities under the East Asia Summit Environment Ministers Meeting, 2¬¬–4 March 2010, Jakarta, Indonesia,” Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, accessed 6 June 2017.
21. “The CBI – Roadmap to COP-10, Nagoya,” Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, accessed 15 August 2017.  
22. Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, “The CBI – Roadmap to COP-10, Nagoya.”
23. Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, “The CBI – Roadmap to COP-10, Nagoya.”
24. Chan et al., User’s Manual on the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity, 31.
25. Grace Chua, “UN To Adopt S’pore Nature ‘Report Card’ for Cities,” Straits Times, 28 October 2010, 28. (From NewspaperSG)



The information in this article is valid as at 2011 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.