Why connectivity matters to wildlife—and people

Ecological connectivity allows animals to move freely to find food and breed, sustaining natural processes that provide clean air, soil, and water. Human activities—including infrastructure development, deforestation, and overfishing—fragment these habitats, leading to human-wildlife conflict and ecosystem breakdown. Climate change further necessitates connectivity as species must move to adapt to shifting environments. WWF implements restoration strategies such as wildlife corridors and sustainable land-use planning, exemplified by projects in Borneo, Southern Africa, the Mekong region, and the Terai Arc. To scale these efforts, WWF co-created the Wildlife Connect initiative with the Center for Large Landscape Conservation and the IUCN WCPA.

• Ecological connectivity is defined as the ability for animals in land or water environments to move freely, which is essential for breeding, finding food, and establishing territories. When connectivity is lost, landscapes and seascapes become fragmented, which can cause ecological systems to "begin to break down".
• Human-driven infrastructure and development disrupt connectivity through roads, fences, and dams. In marine environments, connectivity is threatened by shipping routes, noise, and overfishing, which hinder the movement of migrating species like whales and the travel of offspring between nursery and feeding sites.
• Climate change increases the necessity of connectivity because species must be able to move away from areas where conditions are becoming unfavorable due to rising temperatures, drying water sources, and shifting tree distributions.
• Habitat fragmentation negatively impacts human livelihoods by disrupting ecological processes. For example, dams alter seasonal water flows that carry nutrients necessary for fisheries and floodplain agriculture, while deforestation reduces the ability of forests to mitigate carbon emissions and reduce soil erosion.
• In Sabah, Borneo, 60% of elephant habitat was lost over four decades due to large-scale plantation development. WWF uses GPS collars to track movement and works with plantation owners to implement targeted electric fencing—fencing only palms aged seven years or less—to allow elephants to move through concessions without conflict.
• The Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) in Southern Africa is the world's largest terrestrial transboundary conservation area. WWF has identified six critical wildlife dispersal areas to help reopen migration routes, particularly for elephants, by reducing the impact of fences.
• In the Greater Mekong region, hydropower dams threaten the world's most productive freshwater fishery and species like the Irrawaddy River dolphin by severing connectivity and blocking nutrients. WWF advocates for alternative renewable energy, such as large-scale solar and wind, to meet energy goals without destroying river connectivity.
• The restoration of the Khata Corridor in the Terai Arc (between Nepal and India) saw a habitat increase from 284 acres to 9,390 acres over 20 years. This was achieved by establishing Community Forest User Groups under the 1993 Forest Act, which facilitated the recovery of tigers and rhinos.
• WWF has co-founded the Wildlife Connect initiative alongside the Center for Large Landscape Conservation and the IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group to protect and restore ecological connectivity on a large scale.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). Why connectivity matters to wildlife—and people. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/why-connectivity-matters-to-wildlifeand-people/

Chicago

WWF International. Why connectivity matters to wildlife—and people. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/why-connectivity-matters-to-wildlifeand-people/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=Why connectivity matters to wildlife—and people |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/why-connectivity-matters-to-wildlifeand-people/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndwhy, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Why connectivity matters to wildlife—and people}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/resources/explainers/why-connectivity-matters-to-wildlifeand-people/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }