From Concept to Practice: Co-producing an Online Knowledge Platform to Integrate Relational Values into Biodiversity Planning and Governance in Switzerland

The research programme ValPar.CH (“Nature’s Values and Services in Switzerland”) explores the multiple values and contributions of nature from ecological, societal, and economic perspectives. While the programme’s results highlight the importance of biodiversity and NCPs for well-being and sustainable development, a major challenge remains: translating this growing body of knowledge—particularly regarding non-material and relational values of nature—into practice and policy. Especially relational and other non-material contributions, such as sense of place, cultural identity, and social cohesion, are increasingly acknowledged as crucial for transformative biodiversity governance, yet remain underrepresented in decision-support tools.

To bridge this gap, a follow-up project developed, through a process of knowledge co-production, an interactive online database that provides practitioners and policy-makers at different institutional levels with barrier-free access to policy-relevant research outputs. Guided by an accompanying group composed of representatives from cantonal administrations, municipalities, parks, and NGOs, the project identifies concrete questions emerging from practice in the fields of planning, governance, and communication. These questions guide the structuring of the database, which integrates scientific findings, spatial models, research data, story maps, and best-practice examples. By responding directly to practitioners’ articulated needs, the platform enhances usability and ensures that scientific insights on non-material NCPs are connected to real-world decision contexts.

Users will be able to browse thematic entries and explore how different types of values—including relational and other non-material contributions—can inform concrete actions and decision-making processes. The project thus operationalizes ValPar.CH’s integrative approach by linking diverse forms of knowledge, fostering mutual learning, and transforming scientific evidence into actionable insights. 

By making relational values and other non-material contributions visible and usable for decision-makers, it aims to strengthen the social legitimacy of biodiversity policy, enhance cross-sectoral collaboration, and support the implementation of the Swiss Biodiversity Strategy. The results and the online database will be presented at the World Biodiversity Forum 2026 as a model of co-produced, policy-relevant science at the interface between research and practice. This contribution will also reflect on lessons learned from the co-production process and outline opportunities for upscaling similar approaches in other national and regional contexts.