Joined IPBES' annual meeting of the task force on scenarios and models
The Annual meeting of the IPBES task force on scenarios and models was held on 17-20 June 2024 in Hayama, Japan hosted by the technical support unit (TSU) located in the Institute of Global Environmental Strategies. CeSAM researcher Dr. Ali K. Saysel, task force expert and professor at the Department of Geography, system dynamics group in UiB joined the meeting.
Main content
The workplan of IPBES' task force on scenarios and models involves two crosscutting elements. The first is to provid support on scenarios and models for IPBES assessments. The second is to promotie dialogue between IPBES and the scientific community of practice on scenarios and models. Many of these activities are centered around the further development of IPBES’ methodological guidance for the Nature Futures Framework (NFF) and its dissemination.
The Natures Futures Framework, a flexible tool to support the development of scenarios and models of desirable futures for people, nature and Mother Earth, which has been developed by the previous work group (2016-19) and the task force (2019-23) on scenarios and models through multiple visioning and scenario building workshops was approved as a “living document” by the IPBES plenary in 2023. The framework and its methodological guidance provide an approach for the development of nature-centric scenarios that addresses the diversity of human-nature relationships. It aims at filling a gap in building nature positive scenarios, incorporating diverse values of nature and different knowledge systems including indigenous and local knowledge. At UiB, the NFF is actively incorporated e.g. in the work of the UNESCO chair research group, and in workshops held by CeSAM (see below).
During the intersessional period 2024-25, as part of its first group of tasks, the task force will contribute to the ongoing and forthcoming IPBES assessments through peer reviewing, nomination and mobilization of experts for various author roles, and by organization of an in-person workshops for further improvement of NFF. Among IPBES assessments, Business and Biodiversity assessment is going to be finalized by 2025. Soon, for the Second Global Assessment (2024-28), Monitoring Assessment (2024-26), and Spatial Planning and Ecological Connectivity Assessment (2025-28) there will be calls for expert nominations.
As part of its second group of tasks, the task force will mobilize the existing communities working on scenarios and models for future studies reflecting on and relevant to the work of IPBES, including the NFF. Activities as such include workshop organizations, collection of scenario examples at various scales and for different localities, engagement with the climate communities, and with various other stakeholders involving academics and policy makers.
Dr. Saysel: “IPBES is doing a great work to build a huge community of experts, stewards and forerunners to mainstream biodiversity conservation in policy making and to encourage transformative change towards nature positive futures. We individual researchers and research groups should take this as an opportunity to increase the relevance and impact of our work.”
During the meeting, the task force discussed the role allocation for the implementation of the workplan for the IPBES intersessional period 2024-25. On the third day of the meeting, the task force had a field excursion to Kamakura and to agricultural fields, where people practice Satoyama, a Japanese practice of valuing and supporting nature. On the fourth day of the meeting, the task force had a joint in-person meeting with the IPBES fellows, the young community of researchers supporting IPBES, to discuss and compare values of nature around the world in relevance to IPBES work.
Professor Ali Saysel is one of UiB's experts working actively with IPBES (Naturpanelet in Norwegian). Click here for a complete overview of our experts.