Skip to content

Biodiverse environment

land and sea divided

Wageningen University & Research supports transformative change to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. We help governments, businesses and civil society actors understand the systemic drivers of decline and identify opportunities to restore the living fabric of our planet.

Biodiversity underpins all life on Earth. It sustains the ecosystems that regulate our climate, clean our air and water, and secure our food and wellbeing. Yet biodiversity is declining at unprecedented rates. Reversing this trend — “bending the curve” — requires more than traditional conservation. It calls for systemic change across production, consumption, governance and social values.

Wageningen University & Research combines ecological science with insights from economics, governance and behavioural change to design pathways for nature recovery. We work across scales — from soil health and landscape restoration to global biodiversity policy — to connect evidence with action.

Our approach brings together diverse partners to co-create practical, nature-positive solutions. We collaborate with policymakers, businesses, NGOs and local communities to shape enabling environments that foster biodiversity in fields, farms, cities and seascapes. By scaling and connecting local successes, we aim to build momentum for a global shift toward a biodiverse, resilient and life-supporting planet.

Discover our expertise

Expertises

Topics

Restoring biodiversity

Restoring biodiversity focuses on bringing nature back to life — rebuilding ecosystems, reconnecting landscapes, and strengthening the link between ecological recovery and sustainable land use.

Explore this expertise

Nature-positive food systems

Nature-positive food systems aim to transform food production and consumption in ways that restore biodiversity, strengthen local communities, and create sustainable value across the entire food chain.

Explore this expertise

Transformative change and biodiversity

We explore the different ways in which researchers engage with transformative change — to bring contrasts and differences to the surface and to create stronger connections, helping us move forward collectively.

Transformative change and biodiversity

Why partner with WUR

Collaboration

We offer:

  • Insights to transform the value and use of nature
  • Collaborations with policymakers, businesses and communities  
  • Multiple pathways to biodiversity recovery
  • Knowledge to create the conditions for lasting impact
  • Support in scaling up nature-positive solutions
Highlight
We work with a wide range of partners to restore biodiversity and create environments that accelerate nature- and people-positive change.

Get in touch

Do you have a question regarding societal transformations or working together with us? Ask our programme leader: 

JL (Jeanne) Nel, PhD

Programme Leader: Biodiverse Environment

Focus areas

Biodiverse environment

Wageningen University & Research supports transformative change to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. We help governments, businesses and civil society actors understand the systemic drivers of decline and identify opportunities to restore the living fabric of our planet.

Green cities

We develop integrated solutions for healthy, climate-resilient, and nature-positive cities, where ecosystems, water and people coexist in balance.

Sustainable land use

We work together to create fair and future-proof land use, balancing biodiversity, production and livability.

Sustainable water management

Water is the foundation of life, ecosystems and society — yet the global water cycle is increasingly out of balance. Droughts, floods and pollution are rising, threatening food production, biodiversity and human wellbeing. To secure a sustainable future, we must rethink how we manage and value water.

Green climate solutions

We accelerate climate and biodiversity action through science-based solutions for a climate-proof and nature-positive future.

Follow Environmental Research on social media

Stay up-to-date and learn more about our research through our social channels.