Biosphere Defenders Leveraging Legal and Governance Tools for Just Sustainability Transformations

DEFEND-BIO explores how biosphere defenders, who protect ecosystems and biodiversity, use legal and governance tools to promote land protection. The project investigates the role of these defenders in implementing non-conventional nature-based solutions and how Latin American, Caribbean, and European legal frameworks can support their efforts. By analyzing the effectiveness of laws and policies, DEFEND-BIO aims to create enabling environments for biosphere defenders to drive socio-ecological transformations. The project’s central question is how biosphere defenders can enhance the transnational implementation of laws and policies for biodiversity protection. The research combines expertise in law, policy, human geography, and development to provide tools that support both regions in achieving the right to a healthy environment.

DEFEND-BIO has two main goals: To understand how people who work to protect nature and promote nature-based solutions (biosphere defenders) contribute to managing both biodiversity and human well-being at global, national, and local levels. To investigate how laws and political measures in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe can support the efforts of biosphere defenders to promote sustainability changes through nature-based solutions. Top-down nature-based solutions are often opposed by local communities who better understand the broader role of nature in their lives. Top-down approaches often lack legitimacy, territorial knowledge, and can cater to the needs of political and economic elites. Instead, DEFEND-BIO looks at the nature-based solutions prioritized by biosphere defenders who are at the frontline of nature's defense. We believe that by supporting the strategies of biosphere defenders and creating an environment where they can act, laws and policies in these regions can promote sustainability changes and the protection of biodiversity for both current and future generations. Our main question is: How can biosphere defenders working with nature-based solutions contribute to laws and policies that promote sustainability changes and the protection of biodiversity in a transnational way? The DEFEND-BIO consortium is uniquely composed of researchers with various areas of expertise such as law, politics, development, cultural geography, and trade, and their connection to biodiversity. What really stands out about this project is how we examine the journeys of biosphere defenders through different levels of legislation and policy. By doing this, we reveal concrete opportunities and challenges that formal law, its application, and living practices offer. We look for ways to inspire others who fight for biodiversity and to scale up nature-based solutions at the EU-LAC and global levels. We also analyze how biosphere defenders, who are people fighting to protect their lands, waters, and territories, not only change the way we understand socio-ecological systems but also how they actively engage in laws and economic processes. DEFEND-BIO's geographical scope is in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) including interactions between LAC and European countries – all these countries are parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and major international human rights treaties. On a practical level, this project performs the following tasks: – Look at the mechanisms that interaction legislation has to support the work of biosphere defenders on a practical level. We especially focus on the Escazu Agreement and the Inter-American Human Rights System. – Look into the EU Parliament's (2021) resolution on climate change and environmental defenders and EU directives on value chains and finances that have a cross-border effect in Latin America. See how the implementation of EU legislation can support biosphere defenders and the actual impact it can have if more legal empowerment tools are available on-site. – Investigate the effects of national lawsuits to protect the biosphere in LAC countries that host the most important cross-border ecosystems, such as the Amazon or Choco rainforests. A particular focus is placed on lawsuits used in connection with the regulation of global value chains (GVC) to hold transnational companies accountable. – Finally, we will use citizen science and monitoring at local and national levels in Colombia and Bolivia to test the use of legal empowerment tools aimed at supporting advocates and biosphere defenders in different jurisdictions. DEFEND-BIO contributes valuable evidence that enriches the current discussion on future legislation to manage biodiversity and nature-based solutions (NBS).