Prioritizing Ecosystem Restoration: FAO and UN Environment brief Member States on the upcoming UN Decade

There has never been a more urgent need to restore damaged ecosystems than now due to the rising impacts of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a monumental task and everyone has a role to play. Ecosystems support all life on Earth, and their restoration can create jobs, build up resilience, and address climate change and biodiversity loss, all at the same time.

Now, more than ever and over the next ten years, every action counts. The United Nations (UN) General Assembly has proclaimed the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration following a proposal for action by over 70 countries from around the world. The Decade runs from 2021 through 2030, coinciding with the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals and with the timeline scientists have identified as the last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change.

The UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration is led by the UN Environment Programme and FAO. It is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world, for the benefit of people and nature. It aims to halt the degradation of ecosystems and restore them to achieve the Global Goals.

Only with healthy ecosystems can we enhance people’s livelihoods, counteract climate change, and stop the collapse of biodiversity. The UN Decade will be officially launched in 2021.

Today in New York, Member Countries were briefed by the UN Environment Programme and FAO on the aim and importance of the Decade, its key components, and how to get involved.

UN Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the New York Office of the United Nations Environment Programme, Satya S. Tripathi set the scene by stating that “Making peace with nature is the defining task of the 21st century, and it is also the mission of this Decade.” UN Environment representatives reiterated that the Decade will be guided by solid science, and that it is designed to accelerate progress of existing goals, and not to create new ones.

The Director of FAO's Forestry Division, Mette Løyche Wilkie, noted that “To create a global movement, we need to share good practices and knowledge widely.” She went on to elaborate that, in an effort to showcase efforts made by governments and stakeholders, “We have set up a task force led by FAO with 85 members form different organizations to create a capacity needs assessment to identify gaps.”

It takes commitments and action by and within countries to make this a success. Member Countries expressed their support and are already providing strong leadership, both for the national implementation of the UN Decade, and for regional and international collaboration.