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One of the causes of biodiversity loss is the fragmentation of the territory that alters habitats and ecological processes. According to FUNGOBE, although more than 27% of Spain’s land area has some form of nature conservation, it is still necessary to strengthen mechanisms to improve ecological connectivity using various mechanisms and involving different agents.

This project is part of objective 2.2 of the Strategic Plan for Natural Heritage and Biodiversity (“Promote ecological restoration, environmental connectivity of the territory and protection of the landscape”). According to the entity, it aspires to contribute to the development of the future State Strategy for Green Infrastructure and Ecological Connectivity and Restoration.

Thus, the project has collected and disseminated experiences developed at different scales, creating a toolbox that favors the implementation of effective measures to improve connectivity and offer online training opportunities.

The general objective of the project has been to develop mechanisms to implement policies, strategies, plans and measures that favour the ecological connectivity of the territory and to increase intersectoral alliances.

The specific objectives were as follows:

• To exchange scientific and technical knowledge between the different levels of the administration and other entities involved in the territory, with the aim of improving the connectivity of the territory.
• Promote mechanisms to improve connectivity at national, regional and local levels.
• Disseminate the use of measures to promote connectivity through an online tool among the different administrations that intervene in the territory.
• To train agents involved in the application of measures to promote connectivity.

• Celebration of the scientific-technical seminar “Integration of protected areas in the territory: alliances, ecological connectivity and green infrastructure”, attended by 65 people.
• Creation and dynamization of a multidisciplinary working group, integrating 9 prominent people in territorial planning, belonging to administrative bodies, universities and private companies.
• Development of an online “toolbox“, which brings together all the results obtained in the working group. In addition, a wiki has been built with the experiences collected.
• Holding of 2 training webinars: “Contribution of green infrastructure to the conservation of biodiversity, the improvement of ecosystem services and human well-being” and “Opportunities to finance Green Infrastructure and Connectivity”, with a total of 138 attendees between the two webinars, including technicians from Autonomous Communities and representatives of private companies, of Universities and City Councils.
• Communication and dissemination of the project through the sending of press releases, publications of content on the project website and social networks, the sending of newsletters, dissemination in European projects, etc.

The project has made it possible to share reflections and experiences to integrate protected areas into the territory and contribute to the development of green infrastructure, providing a meeting space between the academic world and professionals in territorial planning and nature conservation. After two years of activity, the project concluded with a webinar focused on opportunities for financing green infrastructure, a crucial topic for its implementation.

Specifically, within the framework of the project, a wiki has been created with 11 experiences of implementing green infrastructure and connectivity from different visions and scales. A specific glossary of terms related to green infrastructure and connectivity has also been developed, and a checklist has been carried out to find out the degree of integration of the criteria of the socio-ecological approach in the design and planning of green infrastructure.

In addition, throughout the project, interest in green infrastructure has been confirmed from different areas. In addition to the basic objectives of biodiversity conservation, there is a socio-ecological dimension aimed at human well-being. However, there are still open questions about the implications from a policy point of view and governance mechanisms.