Showcasing the success of large-scale restoration of landscapes burdened by natural or man-made disasters, the Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Restoration (GPFLR) today launch the report: Restoring forests and landscapes, the key to sustainable future.

The unprecedented study chronicles the results of long-term and large-scale research and outlines several case studies in forest and landscape restoration. The report bears a positive message, presenting a variety of time-proven opportunities to bring infertile land back to life.

With wildfires, droughts and the steadily increasing number of migrants driven from their homes by land degradation, food insecurity or conflict over natural resources dominating the news, the report comes at a pivotal moment.

Securing enough healthy and fertile landscapes are key to address these pressing challenges. With 40% of global soil cover already being used for agricultural purposes, room for expansion is limited. Every year, we are losing ecosystem services – including food production – worth more than $6 trillion a year to erosion and other forms of degradation.

Nations around the world recognize the economic benefits that investing in restoration brings, and while the threats posed by degradation are daunting, our growing understanding of how natural systems work present enormous opportunities for positive change.

As of 2018, over 50 countries, including India, Kenya, Ethiopia, Mexico, and Peru have already committed to bringing more than 160 million hectares – the size of the Indian subcontinent – into restoration by signing on to the world’s largest restoration initiative – the Bonn Challenge.

The report is available for download here.