Reflections for Biodiversity Researchers Engaging With Policy-Science Interfaces
Researchers who wish to engage in policy processes to help address the biodiversity crisis are often hindered by fear of the potential drawbacks to doing so. The complexity of political systems, the necessity to interact with policymakers or politicians outside of the work environment, the potential professional risks that may arise from engagement, advocacy, or activism, and the lack of institutional recognition and support for engaging in the science–policy interface may be daunting. Following the negotiation and adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a reflection on how biodiversity researchers may engage more in policy processes is timely. Here, we introduce and reflect on some of the tools that can empower researchers who would like to engage in (1) changing policies, (2) multi-directional communication, (3) building networks, (4) activism and advocacy, and (5) securing institutional support.
The featured photo: The ant Camponotus planatus feeding on an extrafloral nectary on the red bracts of Costus scaber in the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, Veracruz, Mexico. In a study published in Ecology (https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.70186), Photo credit: Armando Aguirre Jaimes.