As we confront the critical challenges of climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, land degradation and sustainability, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) offer a powerful approach to address these interconnected crises. The 11th ESP World Conference in Darwin will explore pathways to NbS, with a special focus on the insights that local and Indigenous peoples and their value systems can offer.

Australia, known for its vast and diverse ecosystems—from the Great Barrier Reef to its deserts and tropical forests—presents a rich tapestry of ecological knowledge and indigenous wisdom, but also of significant land changes in the last two centuries.

At this international conference, we will bridge global and local scales, learning from managing Australia’s and the wider Asia-Pacific ecosystems to inspire solutions worldwide, linking science with policy. How do we draw on local communities and Indigenous ecological knowledge and values to shape pathways that are sustainable, inclusive, and effective? What lessons from the Down Under land can we apply to other regions seeking to live in harmony with nature?

Key topics include: 

• Local and Indigenous values and ecosystem services: Understanding the role of Indigenous and local community knowledge and value systems in shaping sustainable pathways. 

• Pathways to Nature-based Solutions (NbS): Exploring successful models from local to global scales, and how they can be applied elsewhere and/or adapted. 

• From research to practice: Connecting ecosystem services science with policymakers, practitioners, and diverse sectors to accelerate NbS implementation. 

• Nature-positive Solutions for a global future: How local insights can contribute to global environmental goals, such as the SDGs and biodiversity targets.