Thirty years of defragmentation: from conference to world-wide network

'We really had something special to show,' remembers Hans Bekker about the conference that he helped organise under the auspices of Rijkswaterstaat.

How it all began

Infrastructure criss-crosses nature reserves, leading to a 'patchwork' of nature reserve areas. This makes species more vulnerable due to smaller population sizes and inbreeding. When animals are looking for new habitats they could easily be involved in accidents. This also presents risks for road users.

To reduce the risk to people and animals, the Netherlands started creating many wildlife crossings in the 1970s: from small animal tunnels to dedicated wildlife bridges. When the A50 motorway was constructed in 1988, the first two wildlife bridges were opened: Woeste Hoeve and Terlet in the Province of Gelderland. These places were known to be accident black spots, where game such as red deer and wild boar crossed.

'Back then, I could see how unique our approach was,' Bekker recalls. 'Other countries were grappling with the same problems, but we were devising strategies that worked. We had to share that.'

The Netherlands had something to offer

As Rijkswaterstaat was one of the first to engage in such defragmentation on a large scale, the Netherlands could amass a great deal of knowledge: we were really leading the way. So, Bekker and his colleagues organised an international conference on habitat fragmentation and ecological infrastructure which started in Maastricht on 17 September 1995, precisely thirty years ago.

'The first two days of the conference in Maastricht were devoted to knowledge sharing. After that, we went into the field. We spent two days visiting our iconic wildlife crossings and other ecological infrastructure. In this way, we could show the participants exactly what we were talking about. The closing day in The Hague focused on embedding the measures in policy,' remembers Bekker.

Which of the impressions most made its mark on Bekker? 'What a groundbreaking impact the results had on some of the participants, and the recognition of familiar problems for others. The conference was a forum for those engaged in nature stewardship. It was the start of many long-lasting working relationships and friendships in a new working field where civil engineering met ecology.'

The birth of IENE

One of the conclusions drawn by the conference was that it was advisable to collaborate and reach international harmonisation on research and solutions. That was the impetus for the creation, in 1996, of the Infrastructure Ecology Network Europe (IENE), an overarching international network of experts in the field of ecology and infrastructure.

Bekker's job in this respect was to take the lead. For instance, Rijkswaterstaat was involved in IENE right from the start, alongside joint founders France and Sweden. At an early stage, those three initiators were joined in IENE by representatives from Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Romania, Greece and Austria.

The knowledge developed in the IENE network formed the basis for bolstering global knowledge sharing. 'IENE's most visible product is the drafting and editing of 'the Handbook', the Biodiversity & Infrastructure handbook that publishes and updates information on measures for fauna based on empirical observations, understanding and studies,' explains Bekker.

Thirty years on

'Back then, I hoped that we could build up a network,' Bekker recollects. 'But that it would still be so active thirty years later... I wouldn't have dared to think that.'

'The world of transport ecology hasn't been standing still over the last thirty years. There have been plenty innovations and studies within large-scale partnerships. Comparable issues are playing out in many countries and, in some cases, more knowledge is available on specific topics. But there is still work to be done.

There are many global challenges facing us, such as the increase in mobility, climate change and the pressure exerted on nature by introduced species. Managers of all sorts of linear infrastructure need to be able to rely on each other,' Bekker emphasises.

Want to learn more about connecting nature reserves?

For more information on international knowledge about fauna measures and defragmentation, visit the IENE website.