Increasing the uptake of ecological model results in policy decisions to improve biodiversity outcomes

Environmental Modelling & Software
By: , and 

Links

Abstract

Models help decision-makers anticipate the consequences of policies for ecosystems and people; for instance, improving our ability to represent interactions between human activities and ecological systems is essential to identify pathways to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. However, use of modeling outputs in decision-making remains uncommon. We share insights from a multidisciplinary National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center working group on technical, communication, and process-related factors that facilitate or hamper uptake of model results. We emphasize that it is not simply technical model improvements, but active and iterative stakeholder involvement that can lead to more impactful outcomes. In particular, trust- and relationship-building with decision-makers are key for knowledge-based decision making. In this respect, nurturing knowledge exchange on the interpersonal (e.g., through participatory processes), and institutional level (e.g., through science-policy interfaces across scales), represent promising approaches. To this end, we offer a generalized approach for linking modeling and decision-making.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Increasing the uptake of ecological model results in policy decisions to improve biodiversity outcomes
Series title Environmental Modelling & Software
DOI 10.1016/j.envsoft.2022.105318
Volume 149
Year Published 2022
Language English
Publisher Elsevier
Contributing office(s) National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center, National Climate Adaptation Science Center
Description 105318, 7 p.
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details