Key knowledge gaps to achieve global sustainability goals

MASTRÁNGELO, MATÍAS E.; PÉREZ-HARGUINDEGUY, NATALIA; ENRICO, LUCAS; BENNETT, ELENA; LAVOREL, SANDRA; CUMMING, GRAEME S.; ABEYGUNAWARDANE, DILINI; AMARILLA, LEONARDO D.; BURKHARD, BENJAMIN; EGOH, BENIS N.; FRISHKOFF, LUKE; GALETTO, LEONARDO; HUBER, SIBYL; KARP, DANIEL S.; KE, ALISON; KOWALJOW, ESTEBAN; KRONENBURG-GARCÍA, ANGELA; LOCATELLI, BRUNO; MARTÍN-LÓPEZ, BERTA; MEYFROIDT, PATRICK; MWAMPAMBA, TUYENI H.; NEL, JEANNE; NICHOLAS, KIMBERLY A.; NICHOLSON, CHARLES; OTEROS-ROZAS, ELISA; RAHLAO, SEBATAOLO J.; RAUDSEPP-HEARNE, CIARA; RICKETTS, TAYLOR; SHRESTHA, UTTAM B.; TORRES, CAROLINA; WINKLER, KLARA J.; ZOELLER, KIM

Nature Sustainability

Nature journals

Año: 2019

Regional and global assessments periodically update what weknow, and highlight what remains to be known, about the linkagesbetween peopleand nature that both define and depend upon the state of the environment. Toguide research that better informs policy and practice, we systematicallysynthesize knowledge gaps from recent assessments of four regions of the globe andthree key themes by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform forBiodiversity and Ecosystem Services. We assess their relevance to globalsustainability goals and trace their evolution relative to those identified inthe Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. We found that global sustainability goalscannot be achieved without improved knowledge on feedbacks between social andecological systems, effectiveness of governance systems and the influence ofinstitutions on the social distribution of ecosystem services. These topresearch priorities have persisted for the 14 years since the MillenniumEcosystem Assessment. Our analysis also reveals limited understanding of therole of indigenous and local knowledge in sustaining nature?s benefits to people.Our findings contribute to a policy-relevant and solution-oriented agenda forglobal, long-term social-ecological research.