1. Federal Department of the Environment,
Transport, Energy and Communications DETEC
Federal Office for the Environment FOEN
Biodiversity & Development
–
The Importance of Impact
Measurement
Paris, 18.02.2015
Division

2. 2Biodiversity & Development | The Importance of Impact Measurement
Gabriela Blatter, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland
Guiding Questions
• Why do we need to measure the impact?
• What are the main challenges?
• Directing ODA to increase biodiversity co-benefits –
the Swiss case
• How can we improve the allocation of resources to
increase the co-benefits?

3. 3Biodiversity & Development | The Importance of Impact Measurement
Gabriela Blatter, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland
Why do we need to measure impact?
• Redirect focus from resource flows to measurement of impact
• Generate more co-benefits for biodiversity out of the same $
invested
• improve project / programme design
• Outcome based programming
• Accountability towards domestic stakeholders

4. 4Biodiversity & Development | The Importance of Impact Measurement
Gabriela Blatter, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland
Main Challenges
• Lack of suitable indicators
• Lack of knowledge about biodiversity in the
development community and vice-versa
• Broad definition: what is a biodiversity (co-)benefit?
• Baseline assessment difficult and costly
• Increased coordination between agencies needed
• Main focus vs. co-benefit
• Several elements influencing biodiversity

5. 5Biodiversity & Development | The Importance of Impact Measurement
Gabriela Blatter, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland
Swiss Case
• Biodiversity currently not
main focus of Swiss ODA
• Financing through co-
benefits in the area of:
• Sustainable forest
management
• Watershed protection
• Climate change
adaptation / mitigation
• Sustainable trade
• Natural capital
accounting

6. 6Biodiversity & Development | The Importance of Impact Measurement
Gabriela Blatter, Federal Office for the Environment, Switzerland
How can we improve the allocation of
resources to increase the impact?
• Improve baseline assessment, while ensuring a
managable MRV system
• Indicator development
• Knowledge sharing and improve coordination
• Mainstreaming biodiversity into sustainable
development
• Coordination with development partners
• Biodiversity as a focus and not only a co-benefit
• Smart ODA
• Capacity building within development agencies and
environment ministeries