When it comes to biodiversity conservation, balancing diverse interests among nations and stakeholders is crucial. Projects funded through our BiodivScen call are using scenario-making to evaluate future biodiversity changes and support effective conservation policies. Magnus Tannerfeldt, Biodiversa+ vice chair and BiodivScen’s program coordinator, has told Futures4Europe all about it.
Magnus stressed the need to consider a range of potential future scenarios in order to identify risks and our vulnerabilities to biodiversity loss, develop strategies, prioritise actions, and improve decision-making. The BiodivScen projects are developing and testing multiple scenarios so that stakeholders can gain a better understanding of the complex interactions between biodiversity, human activities, and environmental change. This allows us to explore strategies for promoting positive outcomes, such as addressing the causes of biodiversity loss, implementing sustainable management practices in agriculture, and ensuring that biodiversity conservation and management are integrated into relevant policies and programs at all levels.
Magnus believes that training decision-makers and integrating scientific knowledge into policymaking is key to biodiversity’s preservation. A positive narrative can inspire public engagement, driving a societal transformation towards long-term integrated thinking and de-compartmentalised policymaking.
Through the research of the BiodivScen projects, we can better understand the complex and far-reaching impacts of human activities on the environment and take the necessary steps to protect and restore biodiversity before it’s too late.