Becoming #GenerationRestoration:
Ecosystem restoration for people, nature and climate
Before and after image of the effects of three years of ecosystem restoration in Tanzania. Using bund-digging, the water level in the soil has been restored to regrow trees and grass (Just Diggit: 2018-2021)
We must restore ecosystems to tackle climate change, save species from extinction and secure our future.
We need to slash greenhouse gas emissions by nearly half by 2030 to hold global warming below 2°C and avoid its most dangerous impacts. We can’t meet that goal without restoring ecosystems and their carbon stores. Ambitious ecosystem restoration and decarbonization of national economies need to go hand in hand.
By halting and reversing the degradation of lands and oceans, we can prevent the loss of 1 million endangered species. Scientists say restoring only 15 per cent of ecosystems in priority areas can cut extinctions by 60 per cent by improving habitats.
Restoration is key to the prosperity and well-being of people. Vibrant ecosystems provide benefits from food and water to health and security that our growing population needs today and will need in the future.
A new report from the United Nations Environment Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization highlights the urgency to restore Earth – and the benefits that await if humanity does.
Countries need to live up to their commitments
States around the world are already committed to restoring nearly 1 billion hectares of degraded land – an area larger than China. The European Commission will put forward a proposal for legally binding nature restoration targets in 2021. Major climate and biodiversity conferences scheduled for 2021 are an opportunity to crank up our ambitions, especially for marine and coastal areas. But what we really need is implementation, and the commitment of resources to make it happen.
Ten years of resolute action by all actors in society has the potential to salvage not only Earth’s climate and its astonishing biodiversity, but to restore the whole of our precious planet, for the good of both people and nature.
Hover over each country to see their commitments
Source: Global Restoration Commitments Database, PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. Total national commitments under the Rio Conventions and the Bonn Challenge, adjusted for estimated overlaps (PBL, 2020). The database will be updated as new commitments arise.
The boundaries and names shown, and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.
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Eight key ecosystems that we can restore
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration focuses on eight major types of ecosystems that we have dangerously degraded. Each can be restored by reducing the pressures they face and with on-the-ground action to speed their recovery.
That means safeguarding key processes – such as photosynthesis, carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling and the filtration of water – while protecting and bringing back biodiversity.
Here are some examples of what we can do to restore critical ecosystems. Read all about the challenges and opportunities for each ecosystem in the scientific flagship report: Becoming #GenerationRestoration and the Ecosystem Restoration Playbook.
Forests
- Plant native trees in degraded forests and on former forest land
- Assist natural regeneration
- Nurture trees and woodlands within human-dominated landscapes
Oceans & Coasts
- Stop unsustainable fishing
- Restore coral, seagrass, mangroves and other habitats
- Exclude plastic waste and pollution
Urban areas
- Put green spaces at the heart of urban planning
- Clean up urban waterways
- Mobilize citizens to restore private and public spaces
Freshwater
- Treat waste water and prevent pollution
- Remove or improve dams
- Manage fishing, mining and water extraction sustainably
Peatlands
- Prevent peatland drainage and conversion
- Re-wet degraded peatlands
- Control grazing and fuel-harvesting
Farmlands
- Reduce tillage and using cover crops
- Adopt natural fertilizers and pest control
- Grow more diverse crops, including trees
Mountains
- Restore forests to protect against avalanches, landslides and floods
- Limit extraction and excavation
- Build climate-resilient farming systems
Grasslands & Savannahs
- Graze sustainably and reconnect habitats
- Clear invasive plant species
- Work closely with communities
The global gains of restoration
Restoring ecosystems of different kinds and on different scales all around the world will bring massive benefits for people and nature. It is key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, including the ending of poverty and hunger. Read more about the benefits of restoration in the flagship report: Becoming #GenerationRestoration.
Climate mitigation
Restoring forests, peatlands and mangroves, along with other natural solutions, can provide over one-third of the greenhouse gas mitigation needed by 2030.
Climate adaptation
Nature’s power can help us adapt to climate change. Restoring coastal wetlands on the Gulf Coast of the United States of America could avoid $18 billion in storm damage by 2030.
Economy
Halting the decline of ecosystem services could prevent losses of $10 trillion in global income by 2050
Food Security
Restoration through planting trees on farmland could increase food security for 1.3 billion people.
Water Supplies
Forest restoration and better farm practices could cut the pollution of water supplies for 81 per cent of cities globally.
Health
Adding urban trees can cut risks from pollution and heat while boosting mental and physical well-being for billions of people.
Biodiversity
Restoring 15 per cent of converted lands in priority areas could avoid 60 per cent of expected species extinctions
Join #GenerationRestoration
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is our opportunity to bring nature back. By creating a global restoration movement, we can recreate a balanced relationship between people and the ecosystems that depend on them.
Restoration needs to happen at every scale and everyone has an important role to play: from international organizations and governments to industries and investors to communities and individuals.
Restoration holds huge promise. But it is also a challenge. Success requires knowledge, resources and patience. That is why the UN Decade is providing tools to help you learn about ecosystem restoration and find support. Take a look at the flagship report and find your pathway to becoming #GenerationRestoration.
