Overview
IUCN CEM’s Ecosystem Restoration Thematic Group (ERTG) improves local-to-global ecosystem restoration by contributing technical guidance and translating restoration science into practice.
Although people have been assisting the recovery of degraded ecosystems for centuries, the practice of ecological restoration picked up steam in the 1970s as a promising solution for reversing land degradation. Since then, there has been increasing recognition of the key role of ecosystem repair in conserving biodiversity, ecological integrity and human wellbeing. In fact, restoration is now a primary strategy for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Post 2020 Biodiversity Framework; initiatives like the Bonn Challenge, which seeks to restore 350 million hectares of forests, are unprecedented in scale and scope. However, restoring degraded ecosystems is a complex challenge, and many large restoration programs have underperformed relative to their ecological or social goals. Because of this, there is an urgent need for technical guidance on best practices for planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating restoration activities, including translating science into practice.
Towards this end, IUCN CEM’s Ecosystem Restoration Thematic Group Works to improve the capacity for high-quality ecosystem restoration by:
- Contributing technical guidance to a) CEM Thematic and Specialist Groups, Task Forces and Partners, b) IUCN programmes and members; and c) the global restoration community; and
- Hosting and promoting activities and events that help translate ecological restoration science into practice.
Projects and Initiatives
United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
The United Nations General Assembly declared 2021–2030 as the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The Decade offers an opportunity to substantially advance restoration practice, science, and policy, but to do so requires a shared vision of ecosystem restoration and the principles that underpin it. Towards this end, the ERTG led the development of Principles for Ecosystem Restoration to Guide the United Nations Decade 2021–2030, which were released in September 2021. The ERTG is now part of the leadership team that is developing standards of practice to uide the implementation of the principles, through a series of global consultations. In addition, the ERTG is participating in the Science, Best Practice and Monitoring Task Forces of the UN Decade.
Relationship between ecosystem management and human health
Over recent decades, there has been increasing interest in the relationship between human health and ecosystem degradation. The COVID19 pandemic has focused attention on the urgency of understanding this relationship. The ERTG is collaborating with other CEM thematic groups (Human Health and Ecosystem Management TG, Rewilding TG, and Governance TG) to synthesize information from nearly 1300 articles that address the relationship between zoonotic disease and biodiversity, ecological integrity, anthropogenic stressors, climate change, and ecosystem management.
Expert consultations on emerging issues in the science and practice of ecological restoration
At the 2016 IUCN World Conservation Congress, the ERTG began a partnership with the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) to convene expert consultations on timely issues in ecological restoration. Since then, the Global Forum on Ecological Restoration has been held biennially, as a side event at SER’s world conferences. The next Global Forum will be held in conjunction with the SER 2023 world conference in Darwin Australia (September).
Resources and events
Please join the Ecosystem Restoration Thematic Group’s monthly webinar series: Ecosystem Restoration: Global Initiatives in Science and Practice.
- Webinars are held the 3rd Friday of each month from 12 to 1 pm Eastern EST using “Zoom”.
- You can register to participate here. Registrants will receive advance notice of webinar topics and speakers.
- Previous session video presentations can be found here.
Please assist the Ecosystem Restoration Thematic Group by sharing your expertise. Opportunities to provide inputs and feedback on Thematic Group work will be sent via email as they arise.
The Ecosystem Restoration Thematic Group has contributed to the development of principles and standards for a wide range of restorative management activities, as well as guidance for translating science into practice. For recent Publications and projects, see:
- Principles for Ecosystem Restoration to Guide the United Nations Decade 2021–2030
- Guiding Principles for Rewilding
- International Principles and Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration. Second edition.
- Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions. A User-friendly Framework for the Verification, Design and Scaling up of NbS. First Edition
- Guidance for using the Global Standard for Nature-based Solutions. A User-friendly Framework for the Verification, Design and Scaling up of NbS. First Edition
- Core Principles for successfully Implementing and Upscaling Nature-based Solutions
- Using Ecosystem Risk Assessment Science for Ecosystem Restoration
- Global Restoration Observatory - Restoration Project Information Sharing Framework
- UN CBD Learning for Nature Course on Ecosystem Restoration
For information on the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, see:
