Blog | Hope in the Nexus: Reimagining Our Future by Embracing Connection

Lessons from three years of leading one of the most ambitious global environmental assessments

In December 2024, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) released the Summary for Policymakers of its Assessment Report on the Interlinkages Among Biodiversity, Water, Food and Health; a groundbreaking scientific report that may fundamentally reshape how the world tackles its greatest environmental and societal challenges. Now, the chapters that underpin the Summary for Policymakers (ipbes.net) have been made publicly available, providing the detailed evidence that decision-makers need to act—and to act together—to build a more just and sustainable future.

In an accompanying insight article, I offer an overview of this evidence and what it means for how we solve interconnected global crises. The article explores the assessment’s central message: our crises are connected, and so must be our responses.

But what was it like to co-chair this landmark report?

A Personal Reflection: Why This Report Matters Now More Than Ever

Co-chairing the IPBES Nexus Assessment, together with Pamela McElwee from Rutgers University, has been one of the most meaningful and demanding experiences of my professional life. Over the past three years, I’ve been immersed in work that is urgent, complex and often emotionally intense.

This assessment brought together 165 brilliant experts from across the globe to confront a simple but staggering truth: the crises we face—biodiversity loss, water and food insecurity, health threats and climate change—are not isolated. They are deeply intertwined. And trying to fix them separately is failing us.

This work has been both sobering and hopeful. We’ve seen how current approaches are driving us toward irreparable loss—of species, of ecosystems, of human well-being. We’ve also seen how our decisions, often made in institutional silos, can unintentionally make things worse. But we've also uncovered a wide array of real, workable solutions that can turn things around—if we are bold enough to embrace a different way of thinking.

The most powerful lesson for me has been this: no one has all the answers, but everyone has a role to play. Solutions that work best are those shaped together—with policymakers, communities, Indigenous Peoples, scientists and everyday citizens. We highlight in the report that inclusive, equitable approaches not only increase impact but also rebuild trust and empower those most affected.

Beyond a Report: A Roadmap for Collective Action

The nexus assessment is not just a scientific report. It is a roadmap for hope—grounded in rigorous evidence and shaped by diverse voices.

The time for siloed thinking is over. If we are to protect nature, improve lives and build resilience, we must act in ways that recognize our shared interdependence.

I hope this assessment serves not just as a call to action, but as an invitation—to work together differently, to imagine more just and sustainable futures, and to start building them today.

To learn more, read our insight article on the assessment or access the Nexus Assessment Summary for Policymakers and chapters here (ipbes.net).

Professor Paula Harrison is Co-chair of the IPBES Nexus Assessment and Principal Natural Capital Scientist at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. In the BIONEXT project, she coordinates research to advance the integration of nexus approaches within scenario and model development.