Nearly a third of the Earth’s land surface has already been profoundly transformed by human activity, leaving ecosystems degraded and fragmented, according to a new report launched at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi on October 11, 2025.
Earth’s landscapes are interconnected like a living mosaic, held together by the movement of species and the natural flow of water, nutrients and energy.
But today, these lifeline networks of rivers, forests and grasslands are increasingly under threat, disrupting and diminishing the functioning of natural systems, stated the Global Land Outlook Thematic Report on Ecological Connectivity and Land Restoration.
The assessment has been produced by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).
Its findings are stark: more than 60 per cent of the world’s rivers have been diverted or dammed.
It gave the example of the Mekong river. Once the world’s most productive inland fishery, it is now fragmented by dams, disrupting fish migrations and threatening the food security of millions.
Another instance cited by the report is the Serengeti-Mara in Africa, where fences and expanding agriculture are constricting the ancient migrations of wildebeest and other wildlife, jeopardising one of the planet’s last great natural spectacles.
Roads, railways and cities continue to carve up habitats — leaving only small, isolated patches of nature behind. Globally, the road network is projected to expand by 60 per cent by 2050, putting even more pressure on ecosystems.
“This loss of connectivity harms both nature and people alike,” noted a statement by the IUCN. “It weakens soil, shrinks harvests, worsens water shortages and leaves communities more exposed to droughts, floods and wildfires. Today, land degradation already affects up to 40 per cent of the planet, putting nearly half of humanity at risk. The way we grow food — combined with expanding infrastructure, pollution and climate change — is fragmenting landscapes and driving deforestation, biodiversity loss and breakdown in ecosystem functions,” it added.
Healthy ecosystems, according to the report, are nature’s own infrastructure. They keep water flowing, protect communities from extreme weather and secure food and drinking supplies. When landscapes are restored at scale, they also lock away carbon, reduce disaster risks, protect biodiversity and create jobs.
The analysis called upon countries to include ecological connectivity in land, water and infrastructure planning.
It gave instances of successful models in this regard.
For instance, the European Green Belt stretches through 24 countries from northern Europe to the Balkans and the Mediterranean, forming one of the world’s largest ecological networks.
In Central America’s Costa Rica, a national system of wildlife corridors has reconnected forests, brought back species like jaguars and supported eco-tourism and local livelihoods.
Further south, in South America’s Bolivia, Indigenous communities are restoring connectivity through traditional agroforestry practices, enriching biodiversity while improving incomes, showing how local knowledge and rights are central to resilience.
“At the halfway point of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), leaders are reminded that land, biodiversity and climate goals can only be achieved by working together. This aligns with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which calls for restoring 30 per cent of degraded ecosystems by 2030 and securing the integrity and connectivity of the world’s natural systems,” the statement read.
“This is not only about saving nature—it is about repairing the web of life that people everywhere depend on,” it added.