The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN are set to announce seven initiatives selected as the 2024 World Restoration Flagships.
Names and details of the winning initiatives will be announced at 09:00 am EAT / 07:00am CET / 06:00am GMT/ 01:00 EST on 13 February 2024, ahead of the 6th session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), which takes place later that month in Nairobi.
This year’s winners include initiatives to restore mangroves, forests, rivers, and degraded drylands across dozens of countries that are vulnerable to droughts, wildfires, and floods in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
The World Restoration Flagship awards are part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, which aims to prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. The awards track notable initiatives following global commitments to restore 1 billion hectares – an area larger than China.
Countries have already promised to restore 1 billion hectares – an area larger than China – as part of their commitments to the Paris climate agreement, the Aichi targets for biodiversity, the Land Degradation Neutrality targets and the Bonn Challenge. However, little is known about the progress or quality of this restoration. With the World Restoration Flagships, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is honouring the best examples of large-scale and long-term ecosystem restoration in any country or region, embodying the 10 Restoration Principles of the UN Decade. Progress of all World Restoration Flagships will be transparently monitored through the Framework for Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring, the UN Decade’s platform for keeping track of global restoration efforts.
The UN General Assembly has declared 2021–2030 a UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Led by the UN Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, together with the support of partners, it is designed to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide. It aims at reviving billions of hectares, covering terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems. A global call to action, the UN Decade draws together political support, scientific research, and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration.
