As environmental concerns escalate, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is intensifying efforts to restore degraded lands globally, with a special focus on the Asia-Pacific region. This crucial initiative was highlighted during a webinar titled “Restoration for a Better Environment,” held today on World Environment Day (5 June).

An information brief titled "Fostering Linkages Between Sustainable Wood Supply and Forest and Landscape Restoration in the Asia-Pacific,"was launched during the webinar. According to the brief, the concurrent pursuit of Sustainable Wood Supply (SWS) and Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) in the region represents an important imperative. The brief highlights the opportunities for enhancing sustainable wood supply through restoring degraded lands involving planted forests and agroforestry systems, while also safeguarding biodiversity, mitigating climate change impacts, and ensuring long-term environmental resilience. This aligns with this year’s World Environment Day’s theme: “Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience".

The webinar brought together more than 150 participants and speakers from seven Member Nations and nine partner organizations. Representatives from the Member Nations focused on FLR opportunities and ongoing activities, while the partners discussed innovative approaches and value chains. Youth perspectives from three countries were also shared.

Advancing restoration initiatives is crucial for fostering a better environment, one of FAO’s 'Four Betters' aspirations under FAO's Strategic Framework (2022–2031). Shengyao Tang, the Representative and Head of the FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in the Republic of Korea, expressed the FAO Country Office’s commitment to continuing collaboration with partners and sharing the country’s advanced reforestation techniques with developing countries, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation and biodiversity enhancement.

"The SWS-FLR information brief summarizes the highly informative deliberations of a Regional Dialogue on Integrating Sustainable Wood Supply and Forest and Landscape Restoration in Asia-Pacific, held in October 2023 in conjunction with the 30th Session of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC)," stated Sheila Wertz-Kanounnikoff, FAO’s Senior Forestry Officer and APFC Secretary.

Towards action and programmatic framework for landscape restoration

FAO and 25 partners are shaping a programmatic framework called 'Restoring and Sustaining Landscapes Together Asia (RESULT Asia)', which aims to support countries in restoring at least 100 million hectares of landscapes in Asia. “This aligns with the Asia-Pacific Regional Strategy and Action Plan for Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR), and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030”, said Illias Animon, FAO Forestry Officer and FLR focal person in the Asia-Pacific.

With increased awareness of restoration, it is essential to prioritize and support FLR-related initiatives on the ground through more coordinated programmatic approaches, benefiting both present and future generations.