TY - JOUR
T1 - Understanding the role of biodiversity in the climate, food, water, energy, transport and health nexus in Europe
AU - Kim, Hye Jin
AU - Lazurko, Anita
AU - Linney, George
AU - Maskell, Lindsay
AU - Díaz-General, Elizabeth
AU - Březovská, Romana Jungwirth
AU - Keune, Hans
AU - Laspidou, Chrysi
AU - Malinen, Henna
AU - Oinonen, Soile
AU - Raymond, Joanna
AU - Rounsevell, Mark
AU - Vaňo, Simeon
AU - Venâncio, Marina Demaria
AU - Viesca-Ramirez, Alejandrina
AU - Wijesekera, Ayesha
AU - Wilson, Katie
AU - Ziliaskopoulos, Konstantinos
AU - Harrison, Paula A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors
PY - 2024/5/15
Y1 - 2024/5/15
N2 - Biodiversity underpins the functioning of ecosystems and the diverse benefits that nature provides to people, yet is being lost at an unprecedented rate. To halt or reverse biodiversity loss, it is critical to understand the complex interdependencies between biodiversity and key drivers and sectors to inform the development of holistic policies and actions. We conducted a literature review on the interlinkages between biodiversity and climate change, food, water, energy, transport and health (“the biodiversity nexus”). Evidence extracted from 194 peer-reviewed articles was analysed to assess how biodiversity is being influenced by and is influencing the other nexus elements. Out of the 354 interlinkages between biodiversity and the other nexus elements, 53 % were negative, 29 % were positive and 18 % contained both positive and negative influences. The majority of studies provide evidence of the negative influence of other nexus elements on biodiversity, highlighting the substantial damage being inflicted on nature from human activities. The main types of negative impacts were land or water use/change, land or water degradation, climate change, and direct species fatalities through collisions with infrastructure. Alternatively, evidence of biodiversity having a negative influence on the other nexus elements was limited to the effects of invasive alien species and vector-borne diseases. Furthermore, a range of studies provided evidence of how biodiversity and the other nexus elements can have positive influences on each other through practices that promote co-benefits. These included biodiversity-friendly management in relevant sectors, protection and restoration of ecosystems and species that provide essential ecosystem services, green and blue infrastructure including nature-based solutions, and sustainable and healthy diets that mitigate climate change. The review highlighted the complexity and context-dependency of interlinkages within the biodiversity nexus, but clearly demonstrates the importance of biodiversity in underpinning resilient ecosystems and human well-being in ensuring a sustainable future for people and the planet.
AB - Biodiversity underpins the functioning of ecosystems and the diverse benefits that nature provides to people, yet is being lost at an unprecedented rate. To halt or reverse biodiversity loss, it is critical to understand the complex interdependencies between biodiversity and key drivers and sectors to inform the development of holistic policies and actions. We conducted a literature review on the interlinkages between biodiversity and climate change, food, water, energy, transport and health (“the biodiversity nexus”). Evidence extracted from 194 peer-reviewed articles was analysed to assess how biodiversity is being influenced by and is influencing the other nexus elements. Out of the 354 interlinkages between biodiversity and the other nexus elements, 53 % were negative, 29 % were positive and 18 % contained both positive and negative influences. The majority of studies provide evidence of the negative influence of other nexus elements on biodiversity, highlighting the substantial damage being inflicted on nature from human activities. The main types of negative impacts were land or water use/change, land or water degradation, climate change, and direct species fatalities through collisions with infrastructure. Alternatively, evidence of biodiversity having a negative influence on the other nexus elements was limited to the effects of invasive alien species and vector-borne diseases. Furthermore, a range of studies provided evidence of how biodiversity and the other nexus elements can have positive influences on each other through practices that promote co-benefits. These included biodiversity-friendly management in relevant sectors, protection and restoration of ecosystems and species that provide essential ecosystem services, green and blue infrastructure including nature-based solutions, and sustainable and healthy diets that mitigate climate change. The review highlighted the complexity and context-dependency of interlinkages within the biodiversity nexus, but clearly demonstrates the importance of biodiversity in underpinning resilient ecosystems and human well-being in ensuring a sustainable future for people and the planet.
KW - Biodiversity
KW - Conservation
KW - Europe
KW - nexus
KW - Policy coherence
KW - Sustainability
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171692
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171692
M3 - Review article
C2 - 38485013
AN - SCOPUS:85188471351
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 925
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
M1 - 171692
ER -