Conceptual Framework and Design Approved by Board

Monday, August 05, 2002

Setting the stage for the global findings, the first MA publication will be the Conceptual Framework Report (CFR). The broad outline of the MA conceptual framework has been developed through two design meetings in 2001 and extensive consultations with users of the MA. As shown in the figure below, the MA will focus on ecosystem services (e.g., food, water, fiber), the consequences of changes in ecosystems for human well-being, and the consequences of changes in ecosystems for other life on earth.

The CFR will provide an overview of the conceptual framework and MA design, comparing and contrasting it to other frameworks that could have been used. In March, the authors of the CFR met in Paris to discuss preliminary outlines and begin writing. The conceptual framework diagram presented here is a result of that meeting; it is a slightly modified version of the diagram presented to the Board in January.