“Ecosystem restoration to combat global warming, biodiversity loss and food insecurity – scaling up via the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration”

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2021–2030 as the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and invited FAO and UNEP to lead its implementation. FAO established two Task Forces (on Monitoring and Best Practices) to support the implementation of the UN Decade. The Task Forces have developed several innovative tools/products and approaches such as the Framework on Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring (FERM), GBF target 2 indicators, Principles and Standards of Practice for Ecosystem Restoration, a framework for collection of good restoration practices and a Capacity, Knowledge and Learning Action Plan. Likewise, FAO, in collaboration with partners, supports several UN Decade World Restoration Flagship initiatives ranging from drylands to mountains and freshwater to oceans, including Central America Dry Corridor (CADC), Great Green Wall of Africa (GGW), and Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Restoration in SIDS, which were launched at CBD COP 15 in late 2022.

This event will address the critical importance of a shared vision, standards of practice and harmonized monitoring tools for achieving the ambitious goals of the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, especially in support of restoring ecosystem health and productivity. Its main objective is to showcase the innovative tools/products developed by the FAO-led Task Forces on Monitoring and Best Practices, and to highlight how these tools will be implemented in the context of three World Restoration Flagship initiatives (CADC, GGW and SIDS), and how this work supports the broader objectives of climate, biodiversity and food system transformation. Progress in related Green Climate Fund projects will also be profiled.