Reporting to the Convention on Biology Diversity: How are countries assessing and protecting their genetic diversity?

Genetic diversity is critically important for all species-domesticated and wild-to adapt to environmental change, and for ecosystem resilience to extreme events. Nonetheless, assessment and monitoring of genetic diversity are often overlooked, and there are large knowledge and policy gaps regarding genetic biodiversity conservation. International agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have committed to conserve, and sustainably and equitably use, all levels of biodiversity-genes, species and ecosystems-in all parts of the planet. In this study, we present, to our knowledge, the first thorough assessment of consideration of genetic diversity by Parties to the CBD. We conducted a detailed, systematic analysis of a large representative sample of CBD 5th (submitted 2014) and 6th (submitted 2018) National Reports to quantitatively assess each countrys actions, progress, values and indicators related to genetic diversity. The results highlighted that although the importance of genetic diversity is recognised by most Parties to the CBD, and that recognition has increased over time, genetic targets mainly concerned genetic diversity within cultivated plants, farm animals, and crop wild relatives, with little focus on other wild species. Actions for conserving genetic diversity were primarily ex-situ facilities, as well as policy, rather than monitoring and intervention for maintaining genetic diversity in situ. The most commonly used indicators of genetic diversity status were the number of genetic resources in conservation facilities, number of threatened breeds and Red List Index, which are not well correlated to genetic erosion in most species-meaning that genetic change is not well monitored by currently used indicators. Analyses of genetic data observations, indigenous use and knowledge of genetic diversity, and strategies being developed and implemented to conserve genetic diversity are highly underreported. Based on these findings we make several recommendations for the post-2020 CBD Biodiversity Framework, to facilitate improved awareness, assessment and monitoring, and consistent and complete reporting of progress, of genetic diversity in future National Reports.