Background
Building on the original ‘bending the curve’ initiative, the Bending the Curve Knowledge Hub aims to further enrich and accelerate scenario thinking and inform transformative policies for a brighter biodiversity future, applicable at various scales. The Knowledge Hub connects stakeholders, policymakers, and experts, creating a vibrant network for sharing qualitative and quantitative insights on biodiversity loss and using models to explore the potential impacts of different future scenarios.
What sets this work apart is its proactive approach to tackling the intricate issue of biodiversity decline—moving beyond single-species assessments—and its ability to vividly illustrate how different policy actions could shape biodiversity outcomes. To launch the Knowledge Hub, two exciting focal areas have been chosen: (i) a groundbreaking global study investigating the effects of climate change on bending the global biodiversity curve, and (ii) a regional research initiative focused on reversing biodiversity loss in one of the world’s most crucial biodiversity and climate hotspots—the the Amazon region.
Organisation
The Knowledge Hub works through three strategic pillars: learning, networking, and researching (figure 1). Learning translates models and research into actionable political strategies for transformative change, sharing valuable lessons across the network. Networking builds bridges between diverse research networks, policymakers, stakeholders, and civil society, while championing open data and open science practices. Researching focuses on generating knowledge and developing regionally-grounded scenarios & models to inform policy-relevant strategies for bending the curve of biodiversity loss.
Organised as a “network of networks”, the Knowledge Hub brings together various global, regional, and local initiatives, perspectives, and resources. This interconnected approach is increasingly recognized as a powerful way to scale up and amplify societal change equitably and justly. Each network operates autonomously, defining its focus within the bending the curve initiative collaboratively and co-creatively, delivering specific outputs. Contributing organisations within each network work together to integrate their efforts into the hub, enhancing expertise and diversifying research narratives and scopes. At the core is the Coordination Team—comprised of WWF-Netherlands, Utrecht University, and Wageningen University & Research—which facilitates the networks’ work, provides organisational support, and promotes learning and exchange among the networks.