From August 23 to 28, Monteverde, Costa Rica will become the focal point of international environmental policy as nearly 80 leading scientists and experts from over 30 countries assemble at the Monteverde Institute.
The group will convene for a crucial working session of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The primary objective: advancing a global methodological assessment designed to embed biodiversity conservation and ecological connectivity into land-use planning and policy design worldwide.
Bridging Science and Spatial Governance
The six-day event hosts the Second Authors Meeting and the drafting session for the assessment’s Summary for Policymakers. Rather than functioning as a public presentation of final results, this gathering serves as an intensive working milestone to review scientific data, traditional knowledge, and practical methodologies.
Key disciplines represented among the attending experts include:
- Biodiversity Conservation & Ecological Connectivity
- Spatial & Urban Planning
- Ecosystem Services & Climate Adaptation
- Environmental Governance
- Indigenous and Local Knowledge Systems
“Hosting this meeting directly aligns with our core mission across education, community engagement, conservation, and research,” noted Alexandra Paniagua Ramírez, Academic Director of the Monteverde Institute. The institute highlighted that hosting the delegation will strengthen direct links between international researchers and local conservationists.
Understanding Ecological Connectivity
Habitat fragmentation remains one of the largest drivers of biodiversity loss, isolating wildlife populations and preventing necessary seasonal movements or climate adaptation. Ecological connectivity focuses on maintaining or restoring biological bridges across landscapes—ensuring natural ecosystems remain connected even across regions dominated by agriculture, roads, and urban areas.
Costa Rica serves as an ideal backdrop for this work, given its pioneering national biological corridor systems. Initiatives such as the Reto Ríos Biodiversos 2026 (Biodiverse Rivers Challenge) in the Central Conservation Area and interurban biological corridor monitoring across the Greater Metropolitan Area demonstrate how connectivity principles work in practice.
Actionable Tools for Decision-Makers
Unlike previous diagnostic reports—such as the landmark 2019 IPBES Global Assessment that warned of 1 million species facing extinction—this new generation of IPBES assessments focuses heavily on implementation tools.
By formalizing guidelines for integrated spatial planning, IPBES aims to equip governments, urban planners, and local authorities with concrete frameworks to harmonize economic development with ecosystem preservation.
