Nature Security research

This three-year project will establish a set of approaches to assess and monitor risks to national security - both in the UK and internationally - arising from global biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse. It will develop a conceptual framework for characterising nature-related security risks, taking a systems approach that considers complexity, tipping points, feedback loops, risk cascades and compounding shocks.

The project will deliver tools and indicators that can be used within Government to (1) assess security risks arising from nature loss, (2) monitor threats and detect emerging risks, and (3) inform mitigation strategies and policy options.

The work will be used to improve strategic foresight (e.g. scenario planning and early warning), inform cross-government planning (e.g. through the National Risk Register, intelligence analysis, food and water security policy), and shape UK engagement with international bodies such as IPBES and the Convention on Biological Diversity. It is intended to create enduring tools, partnerships and methods that enable HMG to act early and effectively in response to nature-related security risks.

A key aspect of the project will be to build a diverse and interdisciplinary community of researchers and practitioners. Bidders should consider how best to engage academic, policy, and practitioner audiences to inform, shape and embed new thinking on nature security across government.