CLIMATE CONSERVATION DBA CENTER

The international connectivity program works collaboratively with global partners in key biodiversity areas to protect landscapes from fragmentation by implementing connectivity conservation policy and practice, leading to long-term conservation outcomes. We believe that protected areas function best when they are connected at the landscape scale, ensuring wildlife movement and thriving ecological processes. Through our leadership of the iucn connectivity conservation specialist group (ccsg), we are operating several international working groups of professionals-such as the asian elephant transport working group and the marine connectivity working group-developing mechanisms to protect linkage areas that maintain ecological connectivity around the world. (see schedule o)

Advancing conservation science scientists at cllc are increasingly called upon to assist country governments in planning for, preserving, and increasing ecological connectivity long-term. In fy25, cllc developed the transboundary corridor atlas for the southern kenya-northern tanzania (soknot) landscape. The atlas is a comprehensive resource supporting conservation of the iconic region's important ecosystems and spectacular wildlife. It contains assessments of 24 wildlife corridors and recommendations on how to best conserve them along with baseline data to help measure habitat connectivity over time. The atlas serves as an essential tool for policymakers and practitioners to take action that will avoid the severe consequences of fragmentation of corridors that could affect both wildlife and communities. A global team of leading connectivity scientists led by the cllc science team is developing practical guidance to help the 193 un signatory countries measure how "well-connected" their protected area systems are, as called for in the kunming-montreal global biodiversity framework. Propelling the "well-connected initiative," the group established a two- part work plan during a january 2025 workshop. The first project tested and identified key indicators that effectively measure connectivity across simulated landscapes. These indicators will help measure effective connectivity, supporting countries in achieving the framework's goal of conserving at least 30% of the planet through ecologically representative and connected, protected, and conserved areas by 2030. The completed project will result in a published, peer-reviewed paper and likely international adoption of these globally applicable indicators. As part of the collaborative wildlife connect initiative to connect key landscapes on four continents, our staff led a workshop in borneo in june 2025. With bornean government officials and conservation practitioners in attendance, the workshop aimed to identify the most important ecological corridors to conserve in the country and to foster collaboration. Participants produced a consensus list of "must secure" corridors based on scientific analyses and expert opinion from cllc staff and developed profiles for each outlining conservation strategies.