Transport infrastructure is a strong driver of habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss in Europe and around the world. In recent years, the threat of climate change to both biodiversity and human infrastructure has also become increasingly apparent. Looking ahead, the planning and maintenance of Europe’s existing and future infrastructure must address these twin challenges, on the one hand making it more resistant to new climatic conditions (floods, droughts, wildfires, etc.), while also finding innovative and sustainable solutions to reduce the fragmentation of ecosystems and the impact of invasive species and thus to counter the rapid decline of native species. These complex issues cannot be addressed without research, innovation, and effective communication and cooperation of stakeholders both in the field of biodiversity and infrastructure.

With this aim, we are pleased to announce the  IENE 2022 Conference, which will take place in Cluj Napoca, Romania from 19-23 September 2022. The conference will take place in hybrid fashion, allowing participants from around the world who are unable to join on-site to nonetheless participate in most of the events. In Cluj Napoca, the conference will be held at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine.

SaveGREEN will also be represented at the IENE 2022, and we warmly invite you to participate in one or more of our workshops:

WEDNESDAY 21.09. all day (in-person): Excursion #5 to the Apuseni Mountains - Southern Carpathian Corridor / Mures Valley - SaveGREEN is hosting one of the five conference field trips on Wednesday. The excursion will highlight different aspects of connectivity at landscape level and the importance of cooperation between different sectors to ensure their protection. The focus of the discussions will be on practical problems and solutions within one of the most important regional ecological corridors in Europe.

THURSDAY 22.09. 14:30-15:30 EET: Identification of Natura 2000 sites/ natural protected areas potentially affected by an infrastructure project - The workshop is aimed at resolving an existing issue related to environmental impact assessments. EIA for infrastructure projects often only take protected areas into consideration, which are intersected by the project, when in fact they should analyse a much bigger area. The workshop will present a methodology for identifying potentially affected Natura 2000 sites, which was already used for a motorway project in Romania and will allow participants to better understand the extent of an infrastructure project in terms of impact and will, in the end, lead to an improvement in the application of environmental impact assessments.

THURSDAY 22.09. 16:00-17:30 EET: Application Toolbox for Functional Monitoring – in this workshop, the SaveGREEN Partner EAA will present the Application Toolbox for Functional Monitoring approach (AT-FM) that has been developed over the past months. The participants will be introduced to the AT-FM's underlying generic data model and the advantages of using this approach in their own projects.

FRIDAY 23.09. 12:30-13:50 EET: Strategies for stakeholder outreach and involvement around ecological connectivity - an experience exchange with members of the SaveGREEN Project - led by the SaveGREEN Partners CEEweb and WWF-CEE, the participants will be encouraged to share their experiences in stakeholder outreach, challenges encountered, and possible methods and tools that can be employed to improve these exchanges.

To register for these or any other events taking place next week in Cluj, please click on this link. The full agenda can be viewed here.

Photo: Unsplash

Why attend? What makes IENE conferences so unique?
Every two years since 2010, IENE (Infrastructure and Ecology Network Europe link) has organised an international conference to present state-of-the-art research, identify pressing issues and problems, discuss effective solutions and define future activities in the field of biodiversity research and transport infrastructure. This high-level event provides a recurrent interdisciplinary forum for scientists, practitioners, government departments or planners and policymakers to present recent results, exchange experiences, discuss planned and ongoing activities and create a framework for future collaboration.

The Infrastructure and Ecology Network Europe (IENE) was set up in 1996 to promote the exchange of knowledge, experience and best practice in safe and sustainable pan-European transport infrastructure. This independent network has more than 400 members consisting of researchers, engineers, decision-makers and infrastructure operators.

On this next specific occasion up to 300 international experts in the field of biodiversity and transport infrastructure are meeting in Romania, next week, from 19 to 23 September 2022 under the theme “Connecting people, connecting landscapes”.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE:

Participants will exchange knowledge and get to know innovative cutting-edge technologies to harmonise biodiversity and infrastructure to preserve ecosystems and infrastructure resilience. 

Experts from all over the world will share research results and experience to achieve effective implementation of best practices in all phases of infrastructure development. 

The participants will have the opportunity to increase their knowledge about the European situation regarding transport and biodiversity, future trends and recommendations for mainstreaming biodiversity into European infrastructure. These outcomes are a direct result of the Horizon 2020 BISON project funded by the European Commission.

Attendees will also have the chance to be informed about best practices to implement mitigation measures and improve the functionality of ecological corridors. This year, a particular focus will be put on the SaveGREEN project in the Danube-Carpathian region, where huge infrastructure developments are planned. SaveGREEN aims to demonstrate that it is possible to design appropriate mitigation measures and maintain or improve the functionality of ecological corridors.

The IENE 2022 International Conference will unite to release the new declaration that is supported by its participants and 400 experts of the IENE network. This 2022 declaration underlines the urgent need for cooperation to mainstream biodiversity into the transport sector through integrated planning and calls on stakeholders to exchange the latest knowledge and adapt it locally.

This year’s IENE 2022 International Conference is organised with the support of the SaveGREEN Partners Zarand Association and WWF Romania together with the Horizon 2020 project BISON.

For press: an online press conference will be organised specifically to highlight the main steps towards mainstreaming biodiversity into transport infrastructure at both the European and local levels. At this virtual event, every media outlets representative is welcome.

This online press conference is scheduled for Monday 19 September 2022 at 10:30 EEST and 9:30 CET.

To receive the invitation to accredit, journalists and media organisations should subscribe by writing an email to Ms Bianca Stefanut to bstefanut@wwf.ro by Registration ends Thursday, 15th September 2022.

For more information:

Ioana Ismail, Project Manager, WWF Romania, mail: iismail@wwf.ro  Tel: +40 723 332 542

Bianca Ștefănuț, Communication Specialist, WWF Romania, mail: bstefanut@wwf.ro  Tel:+40 730 098 722

Radu Moț, Technical Expert, Zarand, mail: radu.mot@zarand.org