Biodiversity loss, water and food insecurity, public health threats and climate change are deeply interconnected challenges. Addressing them effectively requires a shift from siloed approaches to integrated, systems-based strategies that reflect the complexity of social-ecological interactions. This session explores the “biodiversity nexus”: the web of interdependencies linking biodiversity with water, food, health and climate change — and the pathways toward cross-cutting solutions.
The recent IPBES Nexus Assessment highlights the potential of nexus approaches to deliver co-benefits across systems. Nexus approaches identify synergies, minimize trade-offs, and support more holistic, equitable and sustainable solutions. From Indigenous food systems and green infrastructure to nature-based solutions and integrated governance, diverse strategies are emerging across regions and sectors. However, operationalizing such approaches presents analytical, institutional and governance challenges.
This session invites contributions that advance understanding of nexus interlinkages; assess trade-offs and synergies; evaluate response options; and propose integrated tools that can support systemic transformation. We welcome contributions from the IPBES Nexus Assessment that provide a deep dive into aspects of the report and aligned interdisciplinary research from diverse contexts.
By bridging theory and practice, this session encourages ecologists, systems scientists, public health researchers, climate experts, social scientists and practitioners to share insights and explore how nexus thinking can be turned into action. Outcomes will include identifying key research gaps and showing how integrated science can inform more coherent, just, and sustainable responses to global crises.