Promoting ecological connectivity is an important option to enable dynamic adaptation processes in ecosystems, and thus to combat the decline in biodiversity and preserve ecosystem functions, especially in view of the changing climatic conditions. While protected areas are well established, their connection through green and blue infrastructure/ecological corridors suffers from significant planning gaps, missing implementation and emerging threats, such as renewable energy production.
An overarching connectivity planning concept guiding corridor implementation across alpine regions is currently missing. Therefore, regional networks, including design of corridors, need to be harmonized and planning systems upgraded to move from conventional land-use planning to more ecosystem function approaches. Know-how and experience developed by PlanToConnect and from previous Alpine Space projects (e.g. ALPBIONET2030, OpenSpaceAlps) will be applied to, and tested in, ecological network planning in the partner regions, a step towards the development of a coherent network of green and blue infrastructures throughout the Alpine Space.
PlanToConnect is integrated into ALPARC’s field of work Biodiversity and Ecological Connectivity.
PlanToConnect aims to support the creation of a coherent alpine-wide network of green and blue infrastructures (GBI) for ecological connectivity (EC) based on harmonized regional networks under a common alpine planning strategy for EC. To improve the capacity of planners and planning systems to effectively address connectivity gaps, barriers and major threats in strategic alpine connectivity areas by operationalizing biodiversity and connectivity concepts into spatial planning and territorial policies.
The project lasts from November 2022 through October 2025 and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg Alpine Space Programme. (Total budget: 2.461.927 € -ERDF grant: 1.846.446 €)
More information: PlanToConnect website
This project is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg Alpine Space programme, which supports cross-border cooperation projects between seven Alpine countries. ALPARC is co-founded in this project by the German Ministry for the Environment (BMUV).