UN report: nature restoration covers 252 million hectares, but pace must rise
A UN report finds that ecosystem restoration is under way on 252 million hectares in 149 countries and has created over a million green jobs. Reaching 2030 goals requires more action on freshwater and marine ecosystems and more than four times the annual funding.
A UN report published on 29 October in Yerevan, Armenia, finds that ecosystem restoration is currently under way on 252 million hectares across 149 countries, the largest documented global effort of its kind so far. It has created more than one million green jobs. To meet commitments due by 2030, the work must speed up and annual restoration funding must grow more than fourfold.
The report, titled "Nature's comeback", was prepared by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. It was presented during the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP17). It is the first comprehensive global assessment of progress towards pledges to restore about one billion hectares, and towards the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework goal of having at least 30 per cent of degraded terrestrial, freshwater, marine and coastal ecosystems under effective restoration by 2030.
Uneven progress
Restoration of land ecosystems has reached nearly half of the global target. China reports the largest terrestrial area under restoration, at 127.4 million hectares. By region, Asia accounts for 192.2 million hectares, Africa 36.3 million, Europe 9.1 million, North and Central America 5.8 million, South America 5.4 million and Oceania 3.2 million. The authors note that these figures reflect the scale of activity, land area and monitoring capacity, not a ranking of performance.
Progress is much slower for freshwater, marine and coastal ecosystems, even though they are degrading fastest: only 11 million hectares of freshwater and 5.7 million hectares of marine and coastal ecosystems are documented as being restored. The report cautions that limited reporting may mean aquatic restoration is underestimated.
Funding
Annual funding needs to rise from US$64 billion to US$296 billion by 2030. That investment could generate up to 32 million new jobs. The largest needs are in agroforestry (US$87 billion), restorative reforestation (US$52 billion), peatland restoration (US$44 billion) and seagrass restoration (US$28 billion).
At the event, five initiatives in China, Colombia, Ethiopia, Italy and the United States were named UN World Restoration Flagships. FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said restoration works, while UNEP head Inger Andersen said nature is still not being restored at the required scale or speed. The report urges a shift from individual projects towards "restoration economies".
