The KCBD Global Biodiversity Data Services (GBDS) developed by the European Commission’s Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (KCBD), hosted by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), provides support to evidence-based biodiversity policy. Building on the former Digital Observatory for Protected Areas (DOPA), the system processes open-access global reference datasets to generate harmonised metrics and indicators on biodiversity, anthropogenic pressures, ecosystem services and conservation funding. These outputs are calculated annually across multiple reporting levels - including countries, and protected and conserved areas - providing consistent and comparable information to support EU and international biodiversity targets, including the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). Metrics and indicators produced by the GBDS are made accessible to a broad range of users through a distribution architecture composed of a structured PostgreSQL database, REST API, and a set of user-oriented interfaces. The GBD REST API delivers standardised outputs in formats such as JSON and CSV, while enforcing authentication, access control and rate limits in line with EC security requirements. Data are accessed through several front-end tools, including the Global Biodiversity Data Viewer (GBDV), the Query Builder and the Swagger UI. Together, these tools enable both interactive exploration and direct integration of pre-calculated indicators into third-party platforms. In particular, the Query Builder is designed for non-technical users to retrieve and download indicators without writing code, while the Swagger UI supports developers requiring programmatic access and interoperability with external systems. By improving accessibility, interoperability and transparency, the GBDS strengthen collective capacity for biodiversity monitoring and reporting and support regional and global partners, including Technical and Scientific Cooperation support Centres (TSCC), in implementing and tracking of progress towards biodiversity targets. It is the main objective of this report to present the data distribution architecture of the GBDS to a broad audience of potential users requiring harmonised biodiversity indicators for reporting and analysis. It demonstrates the system's policy relevance, explains how indicators are accessed through web services, and provides practical step-by-step guidance on using the Query Builder for non-technical users and the Swagger UI for developers and technically proficient users.

LAZARO Cristina;  GOUTIS Dimitrios;  MANDRICI Andrea;  DELLI Giacomo;  DUBOIS Gregoire; 

2026-07-30

Publications Office of the European Union

JRC147250

978-92-68-42319-6 (online),   

1831-9424 (online),   

EUR 40798,    OP KJ-01-26-326-EN-N (online),   

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC147250,   

10.2760/1001328 (online),