The Ark 2010 Programme aims to advance the contribution of science and computational tools to decision making for the 2010 Biodiversity Target and beyond. It will produce policy-relevant analyses, with an initial focus on the biodiversity and ecosystem services of the cloud forests of Mexico, Costa Rica and Colombia.

Ark 2010 will bring together biodiversity data, computer modelling and leading-edge science, to further understanding of changes in biodiversity, ecosystem services, land use and climate. This will support the production of indicators and analyses to support national reporting on the 2010 Biodiversity Target and beyond. A central part of the Programme is the development of computational tools to assist in this work.

The Ark 2010 Programme is coordinated by UNEP-WCMC and is a partnership between the Mexican National Commission for Biodiversity Use and Knowledge (CONABIO), the Costa Rican National Biodiversity Institute (INBio), the Colombian Institute for Research of Biological Resources Alexander von Humboldt, Microsoft Research Cambridge, Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), and the Cardiff University School of Computational Science.

The Programme is developing a detailed work plan and fund-raising strategy during the first half of 2007.