Uncertainty Management in the IUCN Red List Assessments

Nature and information derived from it are full of uncertainties. Uncertainty is not considered a problem; rather it is a characteristic of any data source in need of proper management. Mismanagement or neglect of uncertainty may lead to ambiguity and errors in results. As most information sources used for species threat classification are incomplete or uncertain, we need to address their issues when applying red list criteria, also this approach can be used in Environmental Impact Assessment process. Recent developments in uncertainties management have resulted in improved red list assessment. Fuzzy logic has been used in the improved versions of these assessments which is the main core of the present paper. Here we deal with uncertainties, its sources, types and the way to handle them in red list assessment and its advantages and disadvantages.