Switzerland boosts forest landscape restoration across Africa and South America with CHF 5.2 million contribution

The Government of Switzerland’s major contribution of CHF 5.2 million will contribute to significantly expand the FLR Hub, implemented by IUCN in collaboration with WWF and WRI. The new funding will scale restoration efforts in Mozambique and Madagascar and deepen regional learning and exchange through a South American FLR knowledge platform.

The announcement was made by Pierre-Yves Morier, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Switzerland in Brasília, during the high-level event “The Bonn Challenge: 15 Years of Forest Landscape Restoration for Climate, Nature & People,” co-organised by IUCN and the Government of Germany in collaboration with the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF).

To date, the FLR Hub has been active in six countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Madagascar, Tanzania and Uganda. The Swiss contribution will support additional scaling, including:

• Expansion of FLR implementation in Africa, with a dedicated focus on restoring degraded forest and agricultural landscapes in Mozambique and scaling up activities in Madagascar;
• The establishment of a regional South American knowledge and learning platform, open to all organisations active in land and forest restoration, enabling exchange and collaboration between countries such as Brazil, Peru, Colombia and beyond;
• Enabling local communities and government partners to access technical assistance, training and evidence-based tools for high-quality FLR;
• Facilitating cooperation across the Bonn Challenge, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, and the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

Announcing the new contribution, Pierre-Yves Morier said: “Switzerland is committed to supporting countries in Africa and South America as they restore their landscapes for climate resilience, biodiversity and sustainable development. By investing in the FLR Hub, we aim to strengthen national capacities, empower local communities through inclusive participation, promote gender equality and social inclusion and facilitate knowledge exchange in particular between the Amazonian countries for effective, evidence-based restoration. Healthy forests and resilient landscapes are essential for a stable climate and for the well-being of present and future generations.”

Dr Chetan Kumar, Global Head of the IUCN Forest and Grasslands Team, welcomed Switzerland’s support: “This contribution comes at a critical moment. Scaling up restoration requires long-term partnerships, technical capacity and predictable finance. Switzerland’s investment will not only expand restoration on the ground but also strengthen learning and transparency across regions – ensuring that restoration delivers real benefits for people, nature and climate.”

At the COP30 high-level event, Ministers and partners highlighted the need to integrate FLR into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) under the GBF, as well as sustainable development policies, while mobilising both public and private finance for long-term restoration at scale.

Switzerland’s new funding will directly support these priorities by enabling:

• Expansion of landscape-scale restoration in some of the most climate-vulnerable regions;
• Capacity building for monitoring and reporting through tools such as the IUCN Restoration Barometer;
• Enhanced South–South cooperation, connecting African and South American countries through shared learning and practical exchange.

As the world approaches the 2030 deadline to restore 350 million hectares of degraded land under the Bonn Challenge, the contribution signals Switzerland’s continued commitment to international cooperation and Nature-based Solutions (NbS).

Looking ahead, IUCN and partners emphasised the importance of sustained political attention and investment to turn restoration commitments into measurable outcomes. With Switzerland’s support, the FLR Hub will work closely with African and South American partners to advance high-quality, inclusive, and resilient restoration landscapes.