Conserving the ecological connectivity of lands, freshwaters, and oceans has moved to the forefront of international environmental policy commitments in recent years. Since the Convention on Migratory Species adopted the overarching definition of “ecological connectivity” in 2020 and the United Nations General Assembly encouraged the establishment of “ecological corridors” in 2021, momentum has continued to build within and across numerous policy-making bodies.
The following are highlights of more recent advances at international levels:
- The 5th UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), as the world’s highest-level decision-making body on the environment, adopted its Ministerial Declaration in early March 2022 committing countries to work across sectors in “promoting ecological connectivity” to halt the loss, degradation, and fragmentation of ecosystems. Notably, this is the first time that the United Nations Environment Programme has invoked connectivity as a necessary means for achieving effective implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development.
- The 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) meeting in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) in May 2022 adopted the Land, Life and Legacy Declaration. The declaration encourages Parties to take into account the “connectivity of ecosystems” to accelerate commitments to achieve land degradation neutrality by 2030. This is the first-ever formal inclusion of connectivity in UNCCD policies. Prior to the conference, UNCCD’s Global Land Outlook 2 was released and ecological connectivity was highlighted throughout as an important process, catalyst, and action for large-scale land restoration.
- The United Nations Ocean Conference concluded in Lisbon (Portugal) in July 2022 with adoption of the political declaration Our ocean, our future, our responsibility. Objective 13 stresses the use of “cooperative, ecologically representative, and well-connected” marine protected areas as essential for science-based ocean conservation.
- The 9th session of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) met in July 2022 and included the plenary adopting a proposal to undertake the first “fast-track assessment on ecological connectivity”. With compliments to the Secretariats of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), and the UNESCO World Heritage Center, a background document was prepared to inform this important development. It is anticipated that this decision will help make progress by providing the scientific underpinning and profile for connectivity that will accelerate progress on land and in the water.
Please note: This digest is intended to provide up-to-date information on policy development from a neutral, unaffiliated position as it relates to connectivity and corridor science and management.
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