Global Ecosystem Restoration Efforts Cover 252 Million Hectares, Creating Over 1 Million Green Jobs: UN Report

Yerevan, October 29 (Daily Kiran) : A recent United Nations report reveals that 149 countries are engaged in restoring 252 million hectares of land and ecosystems. This initiative has successfully created over one million green jobs, marking it as the largest documented ecosystem restoration campaign to date.

The report emphasizes the need to accelerate these efforts to meet the targets set for 2030. It highlights the importance of focusing on freshwater sources, marine, and coastal ecosystems. Additionally, it calls for increasing annual funding for restoration activities to more than four times the current level. Such investment could potentially create an estimated 32 million new jobs worldwide by 2030.

Titled “Nature’s Comeback: Scaling Ecosystem Restoration for People and Planet,” this report was released during the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030). It provides a comprehensive review of global commitments related to restoration, aiming to evaluate progress towards restoring nearly one billion hectares of land and ecosystems. The goal is to bring at least 30% of degraded terrestrial, freshwater, marine, and coastal ecosystems under effective restoration by 2030.

The report was jointly published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It was unveiled during a high-level event at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP17).

During this event, five notable initiatives from China, Colombia, Ethiopia, Italy, and the United States were recognized as UN World Restoration Flagships. These initiatives serve as examples of successful ecosystem restoration worldwide. UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen stated, “Today, we are witnessing the beginning of one of the largest movements in history for nature.”

Despite reaching the halfway point of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, Andersen noted that restoration efforts are not occurring at the necessary scale and pace. To achieve impactful initiatives by 2030, there must be a shift towards economies that protect remaining natural areas and restore damaged ecosystems.

The global campaign for nature restoration is no longer limited to national programs. Participation from cities, schools, businesses, and community organizations is increasing. Since the start of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, over 300 organizations from various sectors have joined the partnership network. FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu remarked that five years into the UN Decade, it is clear that restoration efforts can succeed.

The challenge now lies in integrating restoration into sustainable management of land, water, and natural resources, alongside coordinated changes in agricultural and food systems. Healthy ecosystems are crucial for ensuring better production, nutrition, environmental health, and overall quality of life for all.

According to the report, ecosystem restoration is essential for food and water security, addressing climate change impacts, job creation, and enhancing human well-being. Asia leads the way in restoration efforts, accounting for 192.2 million hectares, followed by Africa with 36.3 million hectares, Europe with 9.1 million hectares, North and Central America with 5.8 million hectares, South America with 5.4 million hectares, and Oceania with 3.2 million hectares.

The report clarifies that the data cannot be used to rank regions based on performance, as differences reflect the scale of restoration activities, regional land area, and monitoring capabilities. Research suggests that restoring just 15% of priority areas could absorb and store up to 30% of carbon dioxide emissions released since the industrial revolution, while also helping to prevent 60% of species extinction events.

Success stories under the UN World Restoration Flagship include improvements in the status of species such as the mountain gorilla in East Africa, the jaguar in Brazil, the snow leopard in Kyrgyzstan, and the Ganges river dolphin in India. However, the report indicates that progress in restoration varies across countries and ecosystems. Nearly half of the global target to restore 30% of degraded terrestrial areas by 2030 has already been achieved.

China has reported the largest area of restoration, covering 127.4 million hectares. Significant restoration efforts are also noted in Mongolia and Kazakhstan.