The aim of the AEWA is to protect migratory waterbirds and their habitats throughout the migratory range The Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) aims to provide international protection to migratory waterbirds and their habitats throughout the migratory area of the African-Eurasian migratory route of arctic waterbirds. The agreement is administered by the...

The Aarhus Convention is an important cornerstone of environmental policy and law The Aarhus Convention regulates access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters. The convention is one of the conventions of the UN. The Aarhus Convention is an important cornerstone of environmental policy and law. It gives people the opportunity to have...

The purpose of the Bern Convention is to protect all species of wild flora and fauna, as well as their habitats The Bern Convention, which was concluded in Switzerland in 1979 and entered into force three years later, aims to protect all species of wild flora and fauna, as well as their habitats. Particular attention is paid to the protection of endangered species, including migratory species. The...

A country party to the convention must ensure the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity at the national level The Convention on Biological Diversity is the most comprehensive international agreement on the conservation and use of nature. It provides for the protection of nature in all its richness and at all levels. Biodiversity is protected at the level of the gene, species...

The purpose of the Bonn Convention is to protect migratory species of terrestrial and aquatic animals throughout their migratory range The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, which was concluded in Bonn, Germany, in 1979 and entered into force four years later, aims to protect migratory terrestrial and aquatic species throughout their migratory range. The...

Trade in wild animal and plant species poses a major threat to the survival of the species CITES regulates international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora. The purpose of the convention is to protect species that are endangered because of trade from extinction. CITES was signed in Washington in 1973 and entered into force two years later. Estonia acceded to the convention in 1992...

The Estonian native cattle is our cultural heritage that we need to preserve for future generations. We will never know when the genes of Estonian cattle need to be used in developing new breeds. The Estonian native cattle is the oldest native dairy cattle breed in Estonia. This breed has been developed for over 100 years. The earliest documented notes date back 243 years. In 1845, landowner...

The first milestone (2018) of the national MAES project ELME was the completion of the road map (action plan) for national scale MAES actions in Estonia. Among other aspects, initial prioritization of ecosystem services relevant for national assessment and mapping was made and the results has been used in the next MAES-works as a basis. The road map for mapping and assessment of ecosystems and...

Estonian national MAES project ELME („Establishment of tools for integrating socioeconomic and climate change data into assessing and forecasting biodiversity status, and ensuring data availability”) is in progress, led by the Estonian Environment Agency and the Ministry of the Environment. ELME project (2015/2016–2023) is co-funded by the European Union Cohesion Fund and the national foundation...

Mapping and assessment of the main terrestrial ecosystems Countrywide mapping and assessment of the of the condition and services of the main natural and semi-natural terrestrial ecosystems was initiated at the end of 2018 and completed in 2020 in the course of the national MAES project ELME [1]. This first completed stage is also called ELME1. In 2021 –2023 further methodological refinement and...