02/14/2024
Nature is returning: United Nations honors the world’s seven “flagship ecological restoration projects”
Seven environmental projects from Africa, Latin America, the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia were named the United Nations' "World Ecological Restoration Flagship Projects". The projects, which aim to restore ecosystems endangered by wildfires, drought, deforestation and pollution, are now eligible for technical and financial support from the United Nations.
The World Ecosystem Restoration Flagship Award is part of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration initiative led by UNEP and FAO. The initiative works to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of continental and marine ecosystems around the world. “Flagship projects” focus on large-scale projects that will help achieve the global goal of restoring 1 billion hectares of ecosystems (an area larger than China).
The seven flagship projects awarded this year are expected to restore nearly 40 million hectares of ecosystems (an area nearly 600 times the size of Nairobi) and create approximately 500,000 jobs.
The selection process went through a comprehensive review of more than 60 indicators and criteria, fully embodying the "United Nations Decade" ecosystem restoration principles.
The list of winning projects was announced on the eve of the opening of the Sixth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6). The United Nations Environment Assembly is the world's highest-level decision-making body on environmental issues. This year it will be held at the United Nations Environment Program headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, from February 26 to March 1.
Humans can live in peace with nature
FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said: "FAO is pleased to recognize these seven projects, which demonstrate that we can tackle the impacts of the climate crisis and biodiversity loss while reversing ecosystem degradation at scale. Restoring terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems is A key step to promote the transformation of the global agricultural food system into a more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable direction. As the population continues to grow, the demand for food and ecosystem products and services is also increasing. Restoring ecosystems is an important step in the eradication of poverty, hunger and and long-term solutions to malnutrition”.
Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, said, "For a long time, economic development has been at the expense of the environment. Today, however, we see global efforts to restore nature."
She said: "These initiatives show that we can make peace with the natural world, putting local communities at the center of ecological restoration efforts while creating new jobs. At a time when the planet continues to face climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, as well as waste and pollution At this time of triple crisis, we should redouble our efforts and accelerate ecological restoration projects."
Protection alone is no longer enough”
In 2022, under the "United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration" initiative, the first 10 projects were awarded the title of "World Ecological Restoration Flagship Project", and flagship projects will continue to be selected every two years until 2030. This year's "World Ecological Restoration Flagship Project" represents governments and private donors increasing their investment in nature, especially the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Board of Directors, which donated US$1.4 billion last year.
Jason Momoa, the United Nations Environment Program’s Underwater Life Promotion Ambassador and well-known actor, said: “It is important to protect nature, but protection alone is no longer enough. We have lost too many of the earth’s resources, and now we must increase our efforts to rebuild and repair An environment that we have destroyed and polluted. These restoration initiatives actively address the big issues raised by our connection with the natural world, and it is exciting, like the best movies feel."
The seven projects awarded the title of "World Ecological Restoration Flagship Project" are led by goodwill ambassadors or publicity ambassadors of the United Nations or the United Nations Environment Program, including actors Dia Mirza, Jason Momoa and Edward Norton, celebrity chef Laila Fasala and supermodel and best-selling author Gisele Bundchen announced via videos on the United Nations social media account.
From fires to forests – Mediterranean resilience
The Mediterranean Basin is the world's second-largest biodiversity hotspot, but 16% of its forest species are endangered, in part due to climate-induced prolonged dry spells, extreme heat waves and wildfires. Over the past decade, the region has experienced its worst fire season on record.
The Restore Mediterranean Forests Initiative, involving Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey, has restored approximately 2 million hectares of forest since 2017 and has adopted a new approach to protect and restore these natural habitats and fragile ecosystems. It is planned to restore more than 8 million hectares by 2030.
Vibrant Indus Project – Restoring the Cradle of Civilization
The Indus River has a total length of 3,180 kilometers and has been the core area of social, cultural and economic life in what is now Pakistan for more than 5,000 years. About 90% of Pakistan's population and more than 75% of its economy rely on the Indus Basin, and the Indus River provides irrigation water for more than 80% of Pakistan's arable land. Neglect, environmental degradation and climate change threaten the Indus ecosystem, including its abundant fish and fertile land.
In the wake of devastating floods caused by climate change in 2022, the "Living Indus" project was approved by the Pakistani parliament and officially launched at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The initiative aims to restore 25 million hectares of river basins, accounting for 30% of Pakistan's total area, by 2030 through the implementation of 25 high-impact interventions targeting policymakers, practitioners and civil society. The initiative defines the Indus as a living entity with rights. Other countries have taken this initiative to protect rivers, including Australia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, India, New Zealand, Peru and Sri Lanka.
Partners in the initiative include the Government of Pakistan, FAO and other UN agencies.
Operation Andes: Saving global water and climate hotspots
The Andean Action social movement is led by the Peruvian non-profit conservation organization Ecological Association of the Andes (ECOAN). ECOAN adopts a community afforestation model, which has been proven to be a cost-effective climate resilience solution over the past two decades. They plan to restore and plant 30 million trees on nearly 800,000 hectares of land in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela by 2030 by promoting a community-based reforestation model.
The ultimate goal of the initiative is to protect and restore 1 million hectares of forest area. 25,000 residents from remote Andean communities have been involved in the restoration of 5,000 hectares of Andean forest and the protection of more than 11,000 hectares. They are expected to receive multiple benefits from the initiative by 2030, including access to medicines, solar panels and clay stoves that run on clean fuels, as well as improved grazing management, sustainable agriculture, micro-enterprises and indigenous cultural ecotourism management. The initiative also works to secure land titles for local communities and protect the forests from the future impacts of mining, timber extraction and other degrading factors.
Partners in the initiative include Ecological Association of the Andes (ECOAN) and Global Forest Generation (GFG).
Sri Lanka no longer plants new mangroves, but restores them
In Sri Lanka, mangroves growing at the interface of land and sea are extremely valuable coastal ecosystems and an important bridge connecting marine and terrestrial biodiversity. The livelihoods of coastal communities in Sri Lanka are highly dependent on marine and coastal ecosystems. However, climate change and human activities pose threats to this unique ecosystem.
The Sri Lanka Mangrove Regeneration Initiative is science-driven and co-led by local communities, working to restore the natural balance of the ecosystem. Since the initiative started in 2015, 500 hectares of mangroves have been restored, benefiting 150 households. By 2030, it is planned to restore about 10,000 hectares of mangroves, which will benefit 5,000 households and create more than 4,000 new jobs.
Partners in this initiative include Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Environment and the governments of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The Tire Arc: Reviving Asia's Megafauna
More than 7 million people live in the 5.1 million hectare Tilai Arc shared by India and Nepal. It is also one of the most important tiger habitats in the world, with populations of tigers and other species such as rhinos and elephants in sharp decline due to poaching, habitat loss, degradation and human-wildlife conflict.
The Tilai Arc Initiative focuses on restoring key corridor forests in the Tilai Arc and works with local communities, using the role of citizen scientists, community anti-poaching groups, rangers and social mobilizers. The restoration of 66,800 hectares of forest in Nepal and other measures have improved the livelihoods of approximately 500,000 households in Nepal. With the help of the project, the number of tigers in the area shared by India and Nepal has now increased to 1,174, more than double the lowest point in 2001 when the project was launched. The project will continue to advance and by 2030, nearly 350,000 hectares of land are expected to be restored.
WWF-Nepal is a key partner in this initiative, providing support to the Government of Nepal.
Green development of African agriculture
Over the past two decades, the Green Africa initiative has restored more than 35 trees in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal and Somalia using proven agroforestry techniques and adapting methods based on the needs of farmers in different socio-ecological contexts. Thousands of hectares of land. By 2030, another 5 million hectares of land are planned to be restored.
The initiative is expected to benefit more than 600,000 households. It also increases carbon storage, improves crop and grass yields, makes the soil more resilient (preventing flooding), and treats the soil with nitrogen fixation to provide a natural fertilizer.
Partners in the program include CARE, Catholic Relief, International Forestry Research Center - World Agroforestry Centre, Oxfam, Green Africa, Sahel Eco and World Vision Australia.
Planting forests in Africa’s drylands: African farmers drive food system transformation
Launched in 2015, the Forest Garden Program includes multiple forest garden projects in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Gambia, Kenya, Mali, Senegal, Uganda and Tanzania. By researching agroforestry techniques that replace unsustainable farming practices, nature is regenerated and farmers are given the training, supplies and equipment necessary to succeed.
The program plants tens of millions of trees each year and aims to expand the restored area from the current 41,000 hectares to 229,000 hectares by 2030 and create 230,000 jobs to support more livelihood opportunities.
Partners in the initiative include Trees for the Future.