A DPSIR (Drivers, Pressures, State, Impact, and Responses) Framework for Nature-Positive Atlas

Yadav, Shweta; Somorin, Tosin; Sikka, Alok

A DPSIR (Drivers, Pressures, State, Impact, and Responses) Framework for Nature-Positive Atlas

Autores

Yadav, Shweta

Somorin, Tosin

Sikka, Alok

Editor

International Water Management Institute

Descripción

Nature underpins food systems, water security, human health, and economic prosperity, making its protection central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet nature is declining at an unprecedented rate due to human-driven pressures such as land and sea-use change, overexploitation of resources, pollution, invasive species, and climate change. Since 1970, large portions of terrestrial and marine ecosystems have been significantly altered, while global wildlife populations have declined sharply. As more than half of the world’s GDP depends moderately or highly on nature and ecosystem services, continued degradation poses major risks to economies, food systems, and human wellbeing. This technical report proposes a DPSIR (Drivers, Pressures, State, Impact, and Responses) framework to support a systematic assessment of nature loss and guide evidence-based policy action. The framework distinguishes the underlying drivers of nature loss from the immediate pressures that alter ecosystem conditions, allowing a clearer understanding of cause-and-effect relationships. It introduces a set of indicative metrics across DPSIR components to help countries track changes in ecosystem extent, condition, and species over time. The report advocates a state- and impact-oriented approach that prioritizes monitoring the current condition of nature to identify vulnerability hotspots and guide targeted interventions. By applying the DPSIR framework, policymakers and researchers can better measure nature gain and loss and design coordinated actions to halt biodiversity decline and support a transition toward a nature-positive future.