On 17th December 2024, in Windhoek, Namibia, the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) launched a long-awaited report. Following more than three years of hard work, involving 165 leading scientists, the Thematic Assessment Report on Interlinkages among Biodiversity, Water, Food and Health was approved and published. This report also known as the IPBES Nexus Assessment Report helps our understanding of the interconnected global crises concerning biodiversity, water, food, health, and climate change.

Why is the IPBES Nexus Report essential for achieving the global sustainability policy goals?

Global environmental crises are becoming increasingly frequent and complex. These challenges are deeply interconnected, involving cascading chains of events and consequences. As a result, single-issue solutions or fragmented governance approaches are no longer adequate.

Recognising this, the IPBES Nexus Assessment highlights five critical areas for human wellbeing —biodiversity, water, food, health, and climate. By examining their relationships, the report recommends integrated response strategies to address these challenges holistically. This systems-based perspective is designed to guide policymakers toward solutions that foster sustainability, resilience, and long-term benefits for both people and the planet.

 

The report calls for immediate action to prevent further degradation across the assessed sectors. Key elements of the report include:

Understanding interlinkages: Explores the interconnections between the five critical areas. 

Response options: Identifies over 70 response options, emphasising multi-sectoral benefits.

Governance Needs: Highlights the necessity of integrative governance methods to optimise resource use.

Contextual Application: Tools and methods proposed to support local contexts while addressing global challenges.

After the Nexus Assessment: RESPIN’s role in policy impact

While the Nexus Assessment and its accompanying Summary for Policymakers are comprehensive and vital resources, their complexity is challenging for direct use and comprehension. Yves Zinngrebe, RESPIN’s coordinator and lead author of the IPBES thematic assessment on the underlying drivers of biodiversity loss and transformative change, notes that during the plenary, ‘thanks to many constructive accession countries, many passages were clearer and translated into more intuitive language for decision-makers.’ He comments that after delegations from around the world reviewed the report, he is hopeful that ‘it will not only remain a scientific document but also be incorporated into political decision-making processes.’ RESPIN recognises the need for introductory tools that build on the report’s insights and provides a user’s guide to the assessment. Therefore, the project is dedicated to creating user-friendly materials that distill the findings of the Nexus Assessment into actionable, policy-relevant formats. These efforts aim to make the nexus approach more accessible and ensure it receives the attention and application needed to tackle interconnected global crises effectively.

As a project focused on science-policy interactions, RESPIN plays a crucial role in ensuring that the findings of the Nexus Assessment are accessible and actionable for decision-makers. RESPIN is working on synthesizing key insights from the report into stakeholder-oriented outputs, including fact sheets, policy briefs, and capacity-building materials that translate complex scientific information into applicable knowledge for governance. The project particularly focuses on how the Nexus approach aligns with biodiversity governance and climate adaptation planning, providing insights into cross-sectoral integration at both EU and national levels. 

Stay updated on the RESPIN project to find out more about the efforts made to enable positive change.