Biodiversity and ecosystem services contribute significantly to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nepal. However, they are declining across the country. To protect Nepal’s biodiversity and ensure that its diverse natural resources and habitats can continue to support its people and wildlife for generations to come, policymakers and planners need to consider the long-term impacts of development actions. There is a need to balance the needs of nature and humans. In December 2022, ICIMOD organised an outreach event to help policymakers and local government representatives from Nepal understand the contributions of biodiversity in achieving the SDGs. In this document, we present the way forward discussed for development interventions to be successfully implemented at the local and national levels.