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Measuring Development 2025: Biodiversity on Land and at Sea

The annual Measuring Development Conference co-hosted with the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) and the University of Chicago¡¯s Development Innovation Lab (DIL) will focus on the theme of biodiversity.

*You may find all session recordings linked to our agenda below*

Human flourishing depends on biodiversity: the animals, plants, and other living organisms whose functions make Earth habitable and whose existence holds intrinsic value. New data and applications make this an exciting moment to identify conservation solutions and set priorities for advancing biodiversity measurement. Doing so will enable more effective conservation of the wildlife on which people depend.

ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº's Development Impact Group (DIME), Development Data Group (DECDG), Development Research Group (DECRG), the and the (CEGA) are excited to explore this topic at our 11th annual Measuring Development (MeasureDev) Conference, ¡°Biodiversity on Land and at Sea.¡±

MeasureDev 2025 will feature presentations that span the biodiversity measurement universe: from efforts to improve and expand available data, to innovative methods for estimating the causal effects of conservation policies. The event will bring together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners who are shaping the future of biodiversity conservation and its integration into sustainable development strategies.

Featured Speakers

 

 

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ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº's Development Impact Group (DIME) department generates high-quality and operationally relevant data and research to transform development policy, help reduce extreme poverty, and secure shared prosperity. 

The Development Data Group (DECDG) is the World Bank's center of excellence on data and statistics, involved in the entire life cycle of data: from its collection, curation, and management through its analysis, visualization, dissemination, as well as enabling its use by policymakers and citizens.

The Development Research Group (DECRG) is the World Bank's principal research department. With its cross-cutting expertise on a broad range of topics and countries, the department is one of the most influential centers of development research in the world.

The  is a new initiative for global collaboration in tackling key challenges. It brings together think tanks, experts, researchers, and academics to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and access curated insights from the latest development research. 

The is a research hub at the University of California, Berkeley that generates evidence decision-makers use to reduce global poverty.

8:30 AM Registration and Coffee  

9:00 AM

Opening Remarks
Arianna Legovini (World Bank), Sean Luna McAdams (CEGA)

  
9:15 AM

Keynote 1

Protecting Biodiversity on Land: Threats, Indicators, and Spatial Planning
Laura Pollock (McGill University)

  
10:00 AM

Tools Demo | New Biodiversity Datasets and Tool
Chair: Florence Kondylis (World) Bank

Framework for Monitoring, Evaluating, and Learning from Conservation Enterprises
Liz Lauck (Environmental Incentives, Inc.)

Global Biodiversity Information Facility
Brian Blankespoor (World Bank)

Computer Vision for Wildlife Research & Conservation
Jay Qi (DrivenData)

  
10:30 AM Coffee Break  
10:55 AM

Research Session I: Causal Inference in Terrestrial Biodiversity Conservation
Chair: Richard Damania (World Bank)

Biodiversity¡¯s Contribution to Agricultural Production
Frederik Noack (University of British Columbia)

Quantifying the Causal Impact of Ranger Patrol Deterrence on Wildlife Poaching Using Machine Learning
Lily Xu (University of Oxford) 

Tracking Bats and Their Pest Control Services in Agriculture
Ashley Larsen (UC Santa Barbara)

  
11:45 AM

Panel | Frontier Developments in Using AI to Measure Biodiversity Change in the Lab and in the Field
Chair: Justin Kitzes (University of Pittsburgh)

  • Tanya Berger Wolf (Ohio State University)
  • Marta Jarzyna (Ohio State University)
  • Tessa Rhinehart (University of Pittsburgh)
  • McKalee Steen (UC Berkeley)
  • Magali de Bruyn (UC Berkeley)
  • Emilio Tripp (Karuk Tribe Wildlife Team)
  • Jessica Camarena (Karuk Tribe Wildlife Team)
     

  
1:05 PM Lunch  
2:05 PM

Lightning Talks

WCPA Outcomes and Effectiveness Task Force
Nick Salafsky (IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas)

The Short- and Long-term Development Impacts of Protected Areas
Dennis Engist (University of British Columbia)

Discrete Choice Experiment on Wild Meat Consumption in Cameroon
Sean Denny (UC Santa Barbara)

World Disaster Center (WDC): ¡°Michael¡±
Sapiens Ndatabaye (World Disaster Center)

  
2:35 PM

Research Session II | Conservation Planning for Health, Land-use and Action
Chair: Paul Martin (World Bank)

Meeting EU Biodiversity Targets Under Future Land-Use Demands
Melissa Chapman (ETH Z¨¹rich)

Targeted Biodiversity Conservation to Prevent the Next Pandemic
Leonardo Viotti (University of Pittsburgh)

How Spatial Planning Informs Conservation Action - Case Studies from Around the World
Rachel Neugarten (Wildlife Conservation Society) 

  
3:25 PM Coffee Break  
3:50 PM

Keynote 2

Advances in Mapping Human Activity at Sea Reveal Crowded Coastal Waters
David Kroodsma (Global Fishing Watch)

  
4:35 PM

Research Session III | Marine Biodiversity Conservation and Livelihood Impacts
Chair: Julien Million (World Bank Planet)

Deterring Industrial Vessels from African Coastal Fisheries
Gabriel Englander (World Bank)

Evidence of Spillover Benefits from Large-scale Marine Protected Areas to Purse Seine Fisheries
Juan Carlos Villase?or-Derbez (University of Miami) 

  
5.25 PM

Closing & Acknowledgements
Sean Luna McAdams (CEGA) & Maria Ruth Jones (World Bank)

  
5:30 PM
 Reception  

Date: April 29, 2025

Time: 09:00 AM - 07:00 PM ET

Location: Washington, DC