In June 2021, FAO announced a first call for applications from young professionals in West and Central Africa who wished to attend an online course on forest and landscape restoration (FLR) designed in collaboration with the Yale School of the Environment through its Environmental Leadership and Training Initiative (ELTI). Applicants had to have at least a five-year university degree in sustainable land and natural resources management, environmental studies or an equivalent subject, and at least one year’s work experience in FLR.

Yale ELTI is a capacity development initiative of the Yale School of the Environment that trains and supports people from all sectors and backgrounds to conserve and restore tropical forest landscapes. Since 2006, Yale ELTI has worked with various partners to train over 7 500 leaders from more than 75 countries worldwide.

The interest shown by young people was clear: over 1200 applications were received in the space of one month. Of these, 25 successful applicants from 12 countries were selected.

The course, which is currently set to start at the beginning of 2022, will emphasize the crucial importance of FLR in offering an opportunity to restore critical ecosystem services and landscape functions for both people and nature. In the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative’s (AFR100) overview report, capacity development was highlighted as one of five cross-cutting activities for improving enabling conditions for FLR implementation at scale. When aimed at young people, it offers a unique opportunity to create cross-generational interest, innovation and long-lasting support for FLR efforts.

The course will be delivered in French and will build the capacity, skills and networks of young practitioners, providing them with basic knowledge on the ecological, social and economic aspects of FLR, which they can then apply in their careers to enable FLR implementation on the ground. Participants will also learn how young people can get involved in the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

More specifically, the course has four aims:

1. Understand and apply basic principles of forest ecology, disturbance and restoration;
2. Analyse the ecological conditions, disturbance history, socio-cultural and political factors at play, as well as the monitoring methods available before planning for FLR in a specific region or area;
3. Facilitate exchange, critical discussion, the sharing of expertise and networking among young people engaged in FLR in Africa; and
4. Develop a shared understanding of landscape restoration opportunities.

The online course will include teaching materials, access to expert commentary and guided exercises. Each participant will have the opportunity to develop ecologically, socially and economically viable restoration plans to use in their own work or landscapes, as one of the main outcomes of the training programme. There will be weekly thematic modules with presentations, reading materials, case studies, live video conference discussions with experts, peer-to-peer exchanges, assignments and a final project.

The course will build on a large pool of existing material developed by Yale ELTI, FAO’s Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism (FLRM) and partners.

For those who could not attend but have an interest in further nurturing their knowledge of FLR, please check out the three self-paced, free e-learning courses developed by the FLRM, available in English and French, and kindly note that FAO will organize another call for a similar online course on FLR in early 2022.

For more information contact us at: [email protected].

Benjamin De Ridder (FAO) and Giorgio Maria Millesimi (FAO)