The contributions of citizen science to the United Nations sustainable development goals and other international agreements and frameworks

The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a series of global development targets that were adopted by all UN member states in 2015 to address the world’s most pressing societal, environmental, and economic challenges by 2030 (UN 2015). They include 17 goals and 169 targets covering a wide range of topics from inclusive and equitable education to climate change. The achievement of the SDGs depends on our ability to accurately measure progress towards these topics using timely, relevant, and reliable data (Dang and Serajuddin 2020). To help in the development and implementation of such data and of monitoring mechanisms, a Global Indicator Framework was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2017, which currently includes 231 unique indicators as a set of metrics to deliver information on the status and trends in each SDG target (UN 2017). However, the lack of resources and institutional capacity makes the monitoring of these indicators very challenging for the producers and users of official statistics, including National Statistical Offices (NSOs), line ministries, UN agencies and others that are responsible for compiling and disseminating official statistics (Fraisl et al. 2022)

Participatory Ecological Monitoring (PEM) : participatory research methods for sustainability ‐ toolkit #4

Participatory Ecological Monitoring (PEM) is a conservation methodology aiming to include local communities in the collection and analysis of biodiversity and threats data in a managed conservation zone. Often implemented annually, PEM optimises local knowledge to help understand ecological change which is an essential step towards assessing the success or failure of conservation activity and improving conservation effectiveness

Occurrence and diversity of stem nodulation in Aeschynomene and Sesbania legumes from wetlands of Madagascar

Abstract Legumes have the ability to establish a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with soil rhizobia that they house in specific organs, the nodules. In most rhizobium-legume interactions, nodulation occurs on the root. However, certain tropical legumes growing in wetlands possess a unique trait: the capacity to form rhizobia-harbouring nodules on the stem. Despite the originality of the stem nodulation process, its occurrence and diversity in waterlogging-tolerant legumes remains underexplored, impeding a comprehensive analysis of its genetics and biology. Here, we aimed at filling this gap by surveying stem nodulation in legume species-rich wetlands of Madagascar. Stem nodulation was readily observed in eight hydrophytic species of the legume genera, Aeschynomene and Sesbania, for which significant variations in stem nodule density and morphology was documented. Among these species, A. evenia, which is used as genetic model to study the rhizobial symbiosis, was found to be frequently stem-nodulated. Two other Aeschynomene species, A. cristata and A. uniflora, were evidenced to display a profuse stem-nodulation as occurs in S. rostrata. These findings extend our knowledge on legumes species that are endowed with stem nodulation and further indicate that A. evenia, A. cristata, A. uniflora and S. rostrata are of special interest for the study of stem nodulation. As such, these legume species represent opportunities to investigate different modalities of the nitrogen-fixing symbiosis and this knowledge could provide cues for the engineering of nitrogen-fixation in non-legume crops

Last chance for Madagascar’s biodiversity

Madagascar’s recently elected president ran on a platform of improving the economy and raising people out of poverty. We suggest that addressing the precipitous decline of biodiversity will help to deliver this commitment, and we lay out ways in which President Rajoelina could firmly put the country on a trajectory towards sustainable growth

Madagascar: Crime threatens biodiversity

[Extract] Madagascar's new president, Andry Rajoelina, was elected on a promise to improve living standards for the millions who live in poverty. To achieve this goal, he must address the declining rule of law. Madagascar fell eight places in the Rule of Law Index between 2016 and 2018, and it is 155th of 180 countries listed in the Corruption Perceptions Index. Weak governance slows development by reducing the willingness of citizens and foreign companies to invest. Since his election, President Rajoelina has expressed a desire to make Madagascar a model of conservation and a destina-tion for ecotourism