Summary:
A group of international experts has proposed a new way to measure how countries interact with the natural world, aiming to guide more sustainable and equitable use of Earth’s resources. The Nature Relationship Index (NRI), introduced in a perspective article published in Nature, seeks to shift global environmental metrics from focusing solely on limits and damage to promoting more positive and mutually beneficial relationships between people and ecosystems.
Developed by the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Report Office (UNDP-HDRO), the NRI draws inspiration from the widely used Human Development Index (HDI), which has shaped development policy globally for over three decades.
Unlike traditional approaches that track environmental degradation or biodiversity loss, the NRI would assess progress using three core dimensions: whether nature is thriving and accessible, whether it is used with care, and whether it is effectively safeguarded.
“The Nature Relationship Index offers a new way of understanding whether a country is truly on a sustainable path,” says Professor Laura Pereira, one of the authors and a researcher at the University of the Witwatersrand and the Stockholm Resilience Centre. The team behind the index is calling for global participation in shaping the framework, especially from countries in the Global South with deep ties to biodiversity and conservation.
New global index proposed to manage natural resources more sustainably
The global decline of nature is increasingly being felt all around the world. Conventional efforts to address this decline are not only failing to turn the tide, but are also contributing to political polarisation, green grabbing, and ecoanxiety, making it even harder to inspire the widespread societal collaboration needed to make a difference.
An international collaboration of conservation, environment, and human development experts and practitioners led by the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Report Office (UNDP-HDRO) proposes a new way for countries to measure and improve their relationships with nature and each other.
In a perspective article, one of the world’s leading scientific journals, the diverse team of global experts has introduced the Nature Relationship Index (NRI) – a proposed new metric to help nations track and improve how they interact with the environment. The NRI aims to become a globally recognised tool for managing natural resources more equitably, sustainably, and effectively.
South African researcher, Professor Laura Pereira, from the University of the Witwatersrand’s Global Change Institute and the Stockholm Resilience Centre, is one of the authors on the paper. The index builds on the legacy of the Human Development Index (HDI), which has guided global development thinking for over three decades by tracking national progress in health, education, and income.
“The way we currently measure development often ignores the health of our ecosystems and how they contribute to human wellbeing,” says Pereira. “The Nature Relationship Index offers a new way of understanding whether a country is truly on a sustainable path, especially in terms of how it uses and protects its natural resources for achieving wellbeing. We thrive when nature thrives.”
Where the HDI focuses on human development, the NRI adds a crucial environmental dimension – measuring how well a society fosters mutually beneficial relationships with the natural world – and how this is a central component of wellbeing. It is designed to be globally applicable, easy to understand, and adaptable to national priorities – including in biodiversity-rich countries like South Africa.
The index would assess countries using three dimensions:
- Nature is Thriving and Accessible: Are there healthy natural environments that people can enjoy?
- Nature is Used with Care: Are natural resources being used in ways that minimise harm?
- Nature is Safeguarded: Are there effective laws and public investments to protect ecosystems?
The article urges governments, communities, and researchers around the world – including in the Global South – to take part in shaping and testing the index.
With its rich natural heritage, strong research base, and experience in balancing development with conservation, South Africa is well-positioned to help shape how the NRI evolves – and how it could guide a fairer, greener global future.
Journal Reference:
Ellis, E.C., Malhi, Y., Ritchie, H. et al., ‘An aspirational approach to planetary futures’, Nature (2025). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09080-1
Article Source:
Press Release/Material by University of the Witwatersrand (WITS)
Featured image credit: wirestock | Freepik
