As COP15 started, Inger Andersen, UN’s environment chief, spelled out the challenges facing the planet: “we are at war with nature” and must “make peace”. The global nature of biodiversity loss is what makes international forums such as COP15 crucial to tackling it. Halting the loss of species, habitats and genetic diversity is a must for healthy multifunctional landscapes and prosperous livelihoods. Healthy landscapes are crucial for provision and regulation of water, and good water governance is crucial to healthy landscapes. Healthy landscapes, in turn, can absorb and store carbon – an essential component in mitigating climate change.