The Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network (BES-Net) is a collaborative initiative aimed at translating insights from global, regional and national biodiversity assessments into actionable measures for sustainable ecosystem management. Aligned with global commitments like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and its 2050 Vision and 2030 Mission, BES-Net supports strategically selected countries in implementing the results and findings from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and national ecosystem assessments (NEAs).

This report outlines the progress of the first eight countries participating in the BES-Net initiative: Cameroon, Colombia, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago and Viet Nam. By enhancing their science-policy-practice synergies, these countries have made significant strides in policy alignment, governance strengthening, multistakeholder collaboration, ecosystem restoration, sustainable resource management and community livelihood enhancement.

The metaphor of a transformative boat journey guided by the GBF illustrates BES-Net’s integrated support to the countries’ collective efforts towards a nature-positive future. Navigational tools, representing insights from the IPBES assessments and NEAs, ensure informed decision-making of each country’s boat.

The boat’s crew, symbolizing the science-policy-practice interface, collaborates to address challenges and promote inclusive decision-making. BES-Net leverages the power of triangular dialogues, or Trialogues, to stimulate the process of contextualizing national and global evidence by incorporating the crew’s diverse knowledge systems, including Indigenous and local knowledge.

The BES Solution Fund (or “the Fund”) – BES-Net’s catalytic seed fund – supplies energy to the boat, supporting countries to operationalize the messages of IPBES assessments and NEAs, strengthen collaboration platforms and engage with the IPBES global/regional work programme.

The wind of change, representing powerful opportunities and increasing awareness and focus on planetary crises, also helps drive the boats forward on their journey towards a “world living in harmony with nature”.

Country snapshots outline the latest status of the BES-Net participating countries’ respective boat journeys, highlighting the key achievements and emerging positive changes. These include Cameroon’s NEA validation, Colombia’s integration of assessment findings into its National Development Plan and Ethiopia’s focus on stakeholder engagement and biodiversity platform strengthening. In Kazakhstan, the BES Solution Fund addresses the Aral Sea’s environmental challenges, showcasing the role of sustainable agriculture in restoring ecosystems and uplifting local communities. Kenya emphasizes Indigenous knowledge and youth engagement in pollinator conservation, while Nigeria develops strategies for pollinator conservation and integrated pest management. Trinidad and Tobago mobilizes citizen scientists to protect pollinators and Viet Nam addresses gaps in ecosystem services policies, focusing on marine and wetland services.

The report concludes by shedding light on the transformative potential of the BES Solution Fund in translating evidence into action, contributing to a nature-positive future and supporting the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nature Pledge, particularly by driving values and policy shifts. The ongoing commitment to inclusive dialogue, collaborative initiatives and science-policy-practice interface facilitation reinforces BES-Net’s role in promoting a more sustainable future for all.