Mainstreaming the nexus approach in climate services will enable coherent local and regional climate policies

Abstract

The current challenges that society faces call for actions fostering climate change adaptation and long-term sustainability grounded in effective policies. Consequently, to raise environmental resilience and sustain human wellbeing, we need to overhaul the policy-making process towards a ‘holistic approach’. The nexus approach has proven a valuable tool for identifying gaps and incoherencies in current policies, for understanding major interlinkages across sectors and scales, and for promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Nevertheless, a ‘silo approach’ to decision making currently prevails, thus achieving cross-sectoral and cross-scale harmonization still remains a challenge in policy-making. In response to this challenge, the next step in the science–policy–practice interface is to integrate the nexus approach in the ‘climate services’ arena, in order to support integrated policies. Climate services embody a bridge between researchers and stakeholders, and by supporting integrated policies they will ensure synergies between sectors and scales, reduce potential trade-offs, and enable co-benefits.