Reflecting on the Frontiers Planet Prize for NbS research

Dr Petra Holden, lab lead of the PiNC Lab, was part of a Southern African Team that was awarded the 2023 Frontiers Planet Prize International Champions based on their work in Nature-based Solutions (NbS), and the role it can play in water security in a changing climate.

Holden continues to support the award, and the community of researchers it recognises who are taking risks and investing in the future of human well-being and planetary health.

Here, Holden shares her thoughts on the present and future of planetary boundary science and gives a personal message to the Frontiers Planet Prize community.

What drove you to participate as an active member of the Frontiers Planet Prize community, supporting the Frontiers Planet Prize 2024?  

Last year, I was part of a Southern African team that received the International Champion prize for our work on the role of nature as a solution for water security in a changing climate.  

I wanted to participate again this year as it I see it as a valuable opportunity to work with leading and innovative researchers to brainstorm ways to move beyond science that just looks at impacts or problems to science that focuses on finding, testing and co-creating solutions with others. 

Based on the winning research and your insights, what do you see as the present and future research directions for planetary boundary science?  

We still do not fully understand the types of resources and evidence needed to scale nature-based solutions in ways that are equitable and effective for earth system resilience. So considering local to global scales, including system feedback. 

Here I see the need to integrate a diversity of high-quality observational data, machine learning, and modelling improvements to answer these critical questions about how nature-based solutions can be used for local adaptation needs while also contributing to mitigation and earth system resilience.   

How crucial is the transformative nature of science in achieving a green renaissance and reaching a safe and just operating space for the planet? And how do you feel this can be implemented?  

Well, it is critically important. To address this in a transformative way we need to firstly, work closely with diverse key actors to integrate multiple perspectives and centre the voices of those most vulnerable in this process and any solutions deployed.  Secondly, we need to know what factors motivate and incentivize investment by different types of investors in these solutions 

Thirdly, we need to understand the types of innovative partnerships required to trigger and sustain the scaling of equitable and effective solutions for earth system resilience. And lastly, we need to understand how to integrate various solution types in ways that overcome both socio-economic constraints and limits to climate change.  

As an active member of the research community, how do you perceive the value of the Frontiers Planet Prize for your work?  

I think this global competition is pivotal because it pushes and supports researchers like me to take risks and make investments towards scientific breakthroughs required for biodiversity, people and planet.  

It also provides a liked minded science community with which to engage and collaborate - all focused on finding solutions for planetary health.    

What personal message would you like to convey to the Frontiers Planet Prize Community? 

Bringing together such diverse disciplines spanning the planetary boundaries is incredibly valuable and in this way the prize has the potential to build a strong and inclusive science community.

I am looking forward to seeing this community grow especially filling those gaps where nominating bodies are missing in the global south and tackling issues that currently exacerbate systemic issues around gender inequality.