3. Overview of indicator and monitoring programmes in the three Regions

Release date	20/02/2006

3.1. The Brussels Capital Region

The Brussels Institute for Management of the Environment (BIME) collects and analyses environmental data for the Brussels Capital Region. Since 1991, there has been co-ordinated biological diversity research in the Brussels Capital Region, notably in the context of the establishment of a bio-indicator information network. This research has been undertaken in collaboration with universities, naturalist organisations and associations.

For the BIME, the development and use of sustainable development indicators is one of its priority research projects. Biological diversity indicators are included in the research. Several indicators are thought relevant, and are either being developed or already in use, including:

• State indicators (status of the flora and fauna, i.e. species per group, area of green spaces, area of ponds and length of rivers);
• Pressure indicators (influence of economical production on biological diversity);
• Response indicators
  • policy measures (protection of the flora and fauna, i.e. protected and threatened species, protected areas, areas of high ecological interest, Natura 2000 areas);
  • response of the population to the state of the environment (public awareness: how aware is the public of biological diversity issues?);
  • response of the population to the policy measures (i.e. public participation, impacts on politicians, no. complaints recorded).
  • indicators assessing the integration of biological diversity considerations into urban planning policies (cf. Concertation Committees of the Brussels Capital Region; % of green spaces with high ecological value as total of green spaces, green and blue network: cohesion and continuity of habitats with high ecological value).

For further information :
F. Onclinckx. Indicators for sustainable development in the Brussels Capital Region. Brussels Institute for Environmental Management (in preparation).

3.2. The Flemish Region

An inventory of the main ecosystems and species is given in the first Nature Report of Flanders (1999). This inventory is being complemented by the development of an integrated information system and an overall data bank on scientific research. The Flemish Institute of Nature Conservation is responsible for reporting on the state of nature in Flanders, including applied ecological and hydrogeological research with a view to nature conservation. It is also in charge of a number of inventories, the compilation of species Red Lists and of the establishment of the Biological Evaluation Map. The Institute for Forestry and Game Management has a similar function for forests. It is also responsible for scientific research on fish stock and their management.

The Flemish Impulse Programme Nature Development (VLINA) was started in 1996 as a means to stimulate research on nature conservation in Flanders. Biological diversity indicators are one of the five themes treated within the scope of the programme, with indicators of forest biological diversity being the first ascribed research assignment.

The Flemish Environmental Agency is a para-governmental institution complementary to the environmental administration. One of the tasks of the VMM is to establish and run the monitoring programme on surface water quality.

The first forest inventory in Flanders (1997 - 1999) was carried out by the Forest and Green Areas Division, Ministry of the Flemish Community. It allowed to have precise and up-to-date information on forest composition, age, class, timber volume, etc. and is used to generate a more efficient forest management.

Some of the major biological diversity indicators that are used for evaluation of, and reporting about, nature conservation activities are listed below:

• State indicators: i.e. status of fauna and flora, trends in species, Red List species, changes in land use, etc.;
• Pressure indicators: i.e. impacts of agriculture and agri-environmental measures on species and habitats;
• Impact indicators: % of the country area where critical level of pollution is exceeded, impact of species management plans;
• Response indicators: i.e. protected areas or nature management sites, no. projects for rehabilitation, species management plans; degree of rehabilitation of the natural structure of water and river systems.

Additional indicators for the evaluation of nature policies are currently being developed.

For further information:

• Nature Report 1999 (in Dutch), online at http://www.instnat.be/Natuurrapport/index.htm.
• Mira 2000: Environment and Nature Report for Flanders 2000 (in Dutch).
• VRIND 2000 (Vlaamse Regionale Indicatoren): Indicators for Flanders, online at http://fred.vlaanderen.be/statistieken/publicaties/vrind/vrind2000/elekVRINDexcel/pdf_2000/vrind2000.htm (in Dutch).
• Forest and Green Areas Division, 2001. The Forest Inventory of the Flemish Region. Restults of the first inventory 1997-1999. Ministry of the Flemish Community, 480 pp. (in Dutch).

3.3. The Walloon Region

An Observatory of Fauna, Flora and Habitats has been set up at the Nature, Forests and Wood Research Centre of the Walloon Region. Its tasks are to co-ordinate the collection and analysis of biological diversity data. The Observatory works in close collaboration with a network of naturalists, scientists and officials of the Nature and Forestry Division. Activities of the OFFH are divided into four work programmes:

• Inventory and monitoring of biological diversity (ISB) and monitoring of the state of the environment through bio-indicators (SURWAL), to describe and monitor the distribution of species belonging to various major biological groups.
• Inventory and monitoring of habitats (ISH), to make a standardised inventory of habitats and to monitor their regional dynamics.
• Inventory of sites of great biological interest (SGIB), to gather information on areas that harbour species and habitats of great biological interest.
• System of information on biological diversity in Wallonia (SIBW), to disseminate information collected within the scope of the first three programmes.

The Permanent Inventory of Forest Resources has for objectives to have an up-to-date knowledge of the forest status in Wallonia. This inventory is complemented by a Forest Health Monitoring Programme, that monitors 1500 sample trees annually for discoloration and defoliation.

The Directorate General of Natural Resources and the Environment (DGRNE) is the institution responsible for surface water monitoring activities in the Walloon region. It carries out physico-chemical and biological monitoring throughout the region.

The biological quality of watersheds is evaluated using the biotic index method (Belgian Biotic Index ), based on the sampling of macro-invertebrate communities.
These programmes are used as a basis for the establishment of environmental and biological diversity indicators, that are reported regularly in a technical document, the State of the Walloon Environment. In the 2000 edition, four types of biological diversity-related indicators are used :

• State indicators: i.e. status of flora and fauna, forest composition, etc.;
• Pressure indicators: i.e. pressure from urbanisation, public pressure through leisure activities, agricultural fertilisers and pesticides, hunting, etc.;
• Impact indicators: i.e. forest health, atmospheric fallout on forests, big game impact on forest health and composition, etc;
• Response indicators: i.e. protected areas, biological diversity considerations outside protected areas, public awareness, environmental spending by the private sector, etc.

For further information:

• State of the Walloon Environment 1993 and 2000 (in French), both reports can be found online at http://environnement.wallonie.be/
• See also the System of Information on Biological diversity in Wallonia (in French): http://mrw.wallonie.be/dgrne/sibw/home.html