The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) was called for by the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2000. Initiated in 2001, the objective of the MA was to assess the consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being and the scientific basis for action needed to enhance the conservation and sustainable use of those systems and their contribution to human well-being. The MA has involved the work of more than 1,360 experts worldwide. Their findings, contained in five technical volumes and six synthesis reports, provide a state-of-the-art scientific appraisal of the condition and trends in the world’s ecosystems and the services they provide (such as clean water, food, forest products, flood control, and natural resources) and the options to restore, conserve or enhance the sustainable use of ecosystems. Almost from the Foundation’s start, our relationship with the Assessment has been among the most significant and influential ones. There are many references to it in our story. The assessments of the Northern Range and the Caribbean Sea fall under their banner. Our projects have benefitted from their material and intellectual support. In turn, we have been able to contribute our specific knowledge and understanding of our ecosystems – local to regional – and their challenges and needs.
