Protected Areas – Cornerstones of Ecological Connectivity in the Carpathians and Beyond

On 28-30 September 2021, the Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention, the Carpathian Network of Protected Areas (CPA) Steering Committee, WWF, CEEweb, and EURAC Research held the International Conference "Protected Areas - Cornerstones of Ecological Connectivity in the Carpathians and Beyond" in Visegrád, Hungary.

The event addressed stakeholders working in and around protected areas at different levels to gain knowledge and share experiences on ecological connectivity. Furthermore, through a special session organised by the Centralparks project ("Building Management Capacities of Carpathian Protected Areas for the Integration and Harmonization of Biodiversity Protection and Local Socio-economic Development"), the event fostered collaboration between protected area professionals in the Carpathians and beyond. Representatives of related sectors like agriculture, spatial planning, and forestry attended the conference. The conference aimed to generate cross-sectoral discussions and aimed to enhance the cooperation between these sectors regarding protecting and restoring ecological connectivity.