This editorial describes a 10-paper special issue that arises from the 4th International Conference on Soil Bio- and Eco-Engineering (SBEE2016) ‘The Use of Vegetation to Improve Slope Stability’ held at the University of Sydney, Australia, in July 2016. The conference focused on current topics and progress in slope stability research and the successful application of soil bio-engineering and eco-engineering techniques to stabilizing slopes in a variety of climatic and geomorphic settings. The papers are divided into the following categories: vegetation and slope stability (1 paper); root-soil interactions (5 papers); slope stability modelling (2 papers); eco-engineering and land restoration (2 papers). Most of the papers present case studies documenting bio- and eco-engineering techniques, site-specific investigations or innovative slope stability modelling approaches and two papers are aimed at standardizing data collection and sustainability assessment practices within the discipline. Case studies are presented by scientific researchers, practitioners, geotechnical and civil engineers, biologists, ecologists, geomorphologists, and foresters from North America, Europe, South-East Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.