Capacity building in forest restoration: integrated biodiversity and climate protection in the Mata Atlântica (REPLÂNTICA)

The Brazilian Mata Atlântica, a global biodiversity hotspot that includes major populated cities, is under stress from human demands. Whilst biodiversity and ecosystem services are intrinsically gratis, they suffer from urban pressure that can lead to their collapse. Though legal frameworks demand ecological restoration, conservation gains are required to save and rebuild biodiverse forests, ecosystem services and to protect the climate. The project aims at developing training courses aimed at diverse local and multi-sectorial public who can shape these changes, including landowners, influencers and the public. These can learn of the issues, share in the need to restore, learn how to restore their degraded land and evaluate and document their efforts and link to global targets, looking at the corporate world for long-term sustainability.

Project data

Countries: Brazil
IKI funding: 799,829.70 €
Duration: 01/2024 till 12/2026
Status: open
Implementing organisation: TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences
Implementing Partner: Guapiaçu Ecological Reserve
Online: https://regua.org.br

Skip to Project data

State of implementation/results

2026 began with REPLÂNTICA inspiring a session at the European Conference of Tropical Ecology in Passau, fostering North-South exchange on forest restoration. In March, the third developer workshop at REGUA, Brazil, finalized course concepts. The project’s website was restructured as a knowledge base (in Portuguese), offering mobile-friendly summaries and downloadable in-depth ‘apostilas’ PDFs.
In 2026, five ecological restoration courses targeted public sector workers (30 participants), NGOs (23), landowners (16), rural women (24), and university students (25). A community course runs from August to October. REPLÂNTICA hosted a stand at Cologne’s Science & Technology Night to promote the training program. July’s matchmaking rally in Cachoeiras de Macacu advanced forest restoration partnerships. The successful 2025 event “Roots That Lead,” celebrating women in reforestation, returns on September 25–26, 2026.
Further achievements in 2026: 14 matches were created, including a new seedling and sapling production course (16 participants). Until August, 118 certificates were issued. Project updates are shared on Instagram and YouTube, with subtitled course videos available. Achievements will be celebrated at Rio’s Museo do Amanha on October 26, uniting scientists, practitioners, and the public to advance Mata Atlântica restoration.
Activities implemented in 2025: In March, course concepts were finalised. The team developed ‘folhetos’ (handouts) and updated the website with course details. In 2025, five ecological restoration courses were held for public sector workers (35 participants), NGOs (24), landowners (16), rural women (23), and university students (20). A community course ran from August to October. A matchmaking event and the networking event "Women for Restoration" was organised in October. On June 6, the first 2025 matchmaking event celebrated World Environment Day, connecting companies for forest restoration and planting 500 native seedlings with local schools.
In 2024, nine matches were created, and all planned activities for forest restoration carried out. The project team created certificates for successful course participation, with 135 certificates issued in total in 2024, and by September 2025, 118 certificates for successful course participants in 2025. Information on project results and events is published regularly through posts on social media.

Latest Update:
09/2026