New resource: National mapping

The Global Ecosystems Atlas developed a set of guidelines to address the development of country-wide national ecosystem maps. These Guidelines provide an essential foundation for the conservation, management, restoration and monitoring of ecosystems, to support mainstreaming ecosystems in policy and decision-making across a range of sectors .

There is no single recipe for developing a national ecosystem map, whether from a technical or institutional perspective. The Guidelines identify key considerations and provide a framework that can be adapted to different country contexts. They cover:

• The importance and applications of national ecosystem maps.

• Core concepts for mapping and classifying ecosystems.

• The suite of products that make up a national ecosystem map.

• Typical phases involved in developing a national ecosystem map.

• Roles and skills required in ecosystem mapping teams.

• Institutional and social processes to consider.

The Guidelines do not provide detailed technical guidance on mapping and classifying ecosystems, but rather point to some high-level principles and approaches in this rapidly advancing field.

The Guidelines are intended primarily for countries that are relatively new to the process of national ecosystem classification and mapping, but may also be useful for countries working to improve their existing ecosystem classifications and maps. The Guidelines apply across realms, including terrestrial, freshwater and marine and transitions between them, and cover natural and anthropogenic ecosystem types.

Citation

Global Ecosystems Atlas. (2026). Guidelines for developing national ecosystem maps (v1.0). Group on Earth Observations. https://doi.org/10.60566/cd13v-0me13