Connecting Stakeholders for Biodiversity: A European Network

A report by Christian Langer, programmer at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)

Biodiversity across Europe is facing immense challenges – from the escalating impacts of climate change to pollution and widespread habitat loss. These pressures are not only harming ecosystems but also placing increasing demands on policymakers, scientists, and civil society to monitor and respond to environmental change. However, despite growing awareness, biodiversity monitoring efforts remain fragmented and uneven across regions and sectors. To address this gap, we developed the EuropaBON Stakeholder Dashboard, an innovative, interactive tool that maps the key actors involved in biodiversity monitoring across Europe. This dashboard provides a real-time view of how institutions are connected, what roles they play, and where opportunities exist to enhance cooperation.

What is the EuropaBON Stakeholder Dashboard?

The dashboard is a web application that allows users to explore stakeholder connections across three main dimensions:

• Occupational sector (e.g., academia, government, NGOs, private sector)
• Ecological realm (terrestrial, freshwater, marine)
• EU region (Northern Europe, Western Europe etc.)

It visualizes these relationships through an interactive network graph and summarizes statistics, helping users identify which institutions are most central in the network and where participation is still lacking. It is a practical tool for policymakers, scientists, and funders. It helps answer vital questions:

• Who is already involved in biodiversity monitoring?
• Where are the gaps?
• Which institutions are most active and connected?
• How can we build stronger partnerships?

This information can directly support decision-making, from setting research priorities to designing inclusive stakeholder engagement strategies.

The dashboard is publicly available at https://europabon.org/dashboard. It is open-source and based on the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable).

Why Does This Matter?

A coordinated biodiversity monitoring system requires collaboration between a wide range of actors – from national agencies and universities to NGOs, intergovernmental bodies, and the private sector. Our research shows that while many parts of Europe are well connected, gaps remain, particularly in eastern European countries, marine and freshwater ecosystem stakeholders and private sectors.

These gaps weaken the resilience of Europe’s biodiversity monitoring infrastructure. Strengthening participation from underrepresented regions and sectors isn’t just about fairness – it’s about building a more robust, responsive, and effective system for tracking environmental change.

The analysis also highlights the role of central institutions, such as GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility), which act as key hub for data exchange and coordination.

Looking Ahead: Toward a European Biodiversity Coordination Centre

Our work supports broader EU goals, particularly the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the emerging EU Biodiversity Observation Coordination Centre (EBOCC). The stakeholder dashboard and underlying network could form a critical foundation for this new centre, offering an inclusive, transparent, and ready-made infrastructure for coordinated biodiversity monitoring across the continent.

We also encourage other networks – such as GEO BON or national monitoring programmes – to reuse and adapt our open-source framework. The dashboard is designed for integration, with a public API and an open code repository to support interoperability with other systems.

We hope it inspires collaboration, fosters transparency, and ultimately contributes to a better future for biodiversity across Europe.

Join the Network

The EuropaBON stakeholder network is open to new members. Whether you are part of a research institution, NGO, government body, or private sector, we invite you to join us. You can register via the EuropaBON members portal, and your participation will be reflected in real time on the dashboard.

Publication

(Researchers with iDiv affiliation and alumni bolded)
Langer C, Junker J, Giergiczny M, McCallum I, Georgieva I, Pereira HM (2025) The EuropaBON Stakeholder Dashboard: A dynamic web application to map Europe’s biodiversity community. PLoS One 20(8): e0329390. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0329390