The formidable description rate of amphibian species has presented a unique challenge to the process of updating and adding new amphibians to The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. To address this, in 2015 the Amphibian Red List Authority (ARLA) launched the second Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA2) – an ASG-led initiative to update all 6,260 species from the 2004 GAA and its 2006 and 2008 updates, along with the 1,700+ species that have yet to be assessed for the first time.
The 2019–2020 GAA2 workplan and our progress towards our targets are summarized below. You can follow our work in more detail in our annual reports and find a list of our current donors and allies here.
The GAA2 is underway and about 50% complete. Progress toward the completion of the GAA2 as of December 2020 is summarized in this map. For more details on current and future activities of the ARLA, please see the figure below.
The ARLA aims to reassess all of the world’s amphibians and complete first-time assessments for all new species by the end of 2020. This map outlines the GAA2 workplan over 2019–2020 and features the array of assessment workshops and consultancies that will take place around the planet.
Beyond 2020
Upon completion of the GAA2, we will be able to compare trends in conservation status over time using the IUCN Red List Index and identify the drivers behind those changes. Key findings will inform updates to the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan and will be published in scientific and general literature to advance science and enable informed conservation planning.
Then GAA3 begins! IUCN Red List assessments have a lifespan of ten years. A plan for the update of all GAA2 species and first-time assessments will be made at the time, drawing on the experience and lessons learned during 2009-2020.