Where do the societal causes of biodiversity loss lie? How can biodiversity be protected more effectively in the future? And what encourages people’s willingness to support processes of change?
Biodiversity – the diversity of species, habitats and genes – is a key foundation for our quality of life and societal development. Among other things, it secures food, health and clean water and protects against extreme events. Yet worldwide, species and habitats are being lost, ecosystems are changing and the services they provide to people and society are coming under pressure.
The causes of biodiversity loss are manifold and closely linked to human activities. They include, in particular, intensive land use, pollution, climate change and invasive species. The biodiversity crisis and the climate crisis (twin crises) reinforce each other. Approaches such as nature-based solutions and natural climate protection therefore focus on conserving and restoring ecosystems. Forest ecosystems and peatlands play an important role here.
“As a society, we must understand and acknowledge the fundamental truth that without nature and its conservation, we have no long-term chance of survival.”
Dr. Marion Mehring, Head of the Research Unit Biodiversity and People
Protecting and restoring biological diversity has so far been only partially successful. A turnaround therefore requires a better understanding of the societal causes of biodiversity loss – from values and lifestyles to land use and agricultural and food systems. Equally important is the question of under what conditions people and organisations are willing to support and help shape change.
Biodiversity protection must be more closely linked to societal interests and demands for use. This requires new forms of dialogue and cooperation, and an understanding of how different forms of knowledge and new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, can be used to protect biodiversity. To this end, we examine biodiversity conflicts from a social-ecological perspective, for example concerning forests and peatlands and in agriculture and forestry.
In so-called Transformation Labs, the project works with companies in the food industry to research how measures to promote biodiversity can be effectively designed and implemented.
