BioAgora at the 2024 World Biodiversity Forum: From Science to Action

BioAgora participated in the 2024 World Biodiversity Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which took place between 16-21 June! BioAgora organised and convened sessions featured key members of the BioAgora coordination team and leading experts in the field, drawing significant interest and engagement from attendees. 

On Monday, June 17, in a session titled “Closing the Social-Ecological Loop: From Principles to Practice” BioAgora members Juliette Young (INRAE), Ute Jacob (HIFMB & Eklipse), Marie Vanderwalle (UFZ), and Dr. Jan-Claas Dajka (HIFMB) presented various aspects of the integration of social-ecological systems to create holistic approaches for assessing and managing biodiversity changes. Participants discussed how societal drivers and ecological considerations are intertwined and examined ways to enhance decision support systems for achieving biodiversity targets. The session featured diverse perspectives and case studies that demonstrated successful implementations of these principles. 

On Tuesday, June 18, in a BioAgora organised session titled “Converting Biodiversity Knowledge into Actionable Knowledge: A Glimpse into the New Biodiversity Knowledge Governance in Europe” participants, amongst which BioAgora’s Marie Vandewalle, Juliette Young, Kati Vierikko, Kaisa Korhonen-Kurki (SYKE, BioAgora), representatives of Eklipse and Biodiversa+, and Paris Vasilakopoulos from the KCBD, delved into the complexities of converting scientific evidence into actionable knowledge for policymaking. Discussions covered the latest advancements in biodiversity knowledge governance in Europe, the role of the Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity (EC-KCBD), and the emerging Science Service for Biodiversity. The session highlighted BioAgora’s plans to enhance the implementation of EU biodiversity commitments through collaborative efforts with various actors in the science-policy interface. 

On Sunday, 16 June, BioAgora coordinator Kati Vierikko also participated in a workshop titled “What barriers are currently preventing the implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) as a win-win solution for biodiversity and human well-being?”, which focused on barriers that impede the widespread adoption of nature-based solutions. 

The BioAgora project was also displayed at the Pensoft Publishers stand, where attendees could access promotional materials, project one-pagers, and stickers, and learn more about the project’s objectives and opportunities. 

More information on the World Biodiversity Forum is available here.