Green–Blue Corridors to Enhance Biodiversity Connectivity under Climate Change: A Comparative Analysis of Western European Countries (2015–2025)

Climate change and rapid urbanization are intensifying habitat fragmentation and thermal stress across European landscapes, threatening both biodiversity and human well-being. Green–blue corridors have emerged as a key nature-based solution to enhance ecological connectivity while mitigating climate impacts, yet comparative, long-term assessments of their effectiveness remain limited. This study provides a comprehensive cross-country analysis of green–blue corridor performance in Western Europe over the period 2015–2025, integrating remote sensing, ecological connectivity modelling, and artificial intelligence techniques. Using satellite-derived indicators of land surface temperature and vegetation condition, combined with graph-based connectivity metrics and machine learning models, we evaluate the dual role of corridors in supporting biodiversity and reducing climate stress. Results reveal that corridors significantly improve ecological connectivity and generate measurable cooling effects, with land surface temperatures inside corridors up to 2.5°C lower than in adjacent urban areas. A positive and statistically significant relationship between connectivity and vegetation health further confirms the buffering capacity of well-designed corridor networks. Cluster analysis identifies distinct corridor–climate typologies across countries, highlighting the influence of climatic context, urban pressure, and governance frameworks on corridor effectiveness. High-performing green–blue networks exhibit synergistic benefits for biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation, while fragmented or climate-constrained systems deliver more limited outcomes. The findings underscore the importance of integrating green–blue corridors into spatial planning and climate policy as strategic adaptation infrastructures. By offering a scalable analytical framework and evidence-based policy insights, this study contributes to advancing climate-resilient landscape planning and supports the mainstreaming of nature-based solutions in European environmental governance.