Background

Land degradation, desertification and fragmentation are accelerating globally, threatening biodiversity, ecosystem services and human well-being. Ecological connectivity — the unimpeded movement of species, connection of habitats without hinderance and the flow of natural processes that sustain life on Earth — is a critical foundation for resilience in the face of these challenges.

The Global Land Outlook (GLO) Thematic Report on Ecological Connectivity, launched at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in 2025, reframes ecological connectivity through a land-systems and restoration lens, demonstrating how restoring degraded lands, managing multifunctional landscapes, and addressing fragmentation can simultaneously advance land, biodiversity, climate, and sustainable development goals. It explores how sustainably managing healthy landscapes and restoring degraded land and water resources can reconnect fragmented ecosystems (‘restore to connect’), while enhancing connectivity can increase landscape resilience to degradation and climate change (‘connect to restore’).

This webinar aims to raise awareness of the GLO’s key messages, connect them to on-the-ground examples and global initiatives, and explore how global policy processes can benefit from and reinforce this integrated perspective.

Draft Agenda

Moderator: Gabriel Oppler, International Policy and Partnerships Specialist, CLLC