A global perspective on the application of riverine macroinvertebrates as biological indicators in Africa, South-Central America, Mexico and Southern Asia

• A global overview of river assessment methods using macroinvertebrates. Correspondence between pressures and applied. Riverine macroinvertebrates successfully detect human impacts worldwide. Pitfalls to applications are identified. common macroinvertebrate metric for proposed. The aim this study is generate a first used assess the environmental quality rivers streams In total, 314 peer-review studies were reviewed, published in period 1997 – 2018, from developing economies Africa, South-Central America, Mexico Southern Asia. To establish perspective, results literature review compared other compiled datasets, biomonitoring manuals, surveys reviews Europe, North America Australasia. showed that sampling was most usual during baseflow, kick- or Surber sampling, with taxonomical identification levels mostly genus family. Assessments often done metrics (singular multimetrics; > 70% applications) based on community attributes related richness dominance (58% studies), sensitivity (40%), diversity by heterogeneity (32%) functional traits (25%). Within each category, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera Trichoptera (EPT), Biological Monitoring Working Party scoring systems (BMWP/ASPT), Shannon-Wiener feeding traits. Overall, 92% reviewed reported use macroinvertebrates, at least some their responses, successful detecting degradation investigated rivers. Given many similarities applied worldwide, present, we consider riverine can be feasible family level identifications samples. We propose (multimetric), comprising three literature, but also elsewhere, namely BMWP/ASPT, EPT. Recent concerns regarding state nature consequences freshwater communities, as intergovernmental science-policy platform biodiversity ecosystem services (IPBES), emphasize urgent need such synthesis.