Advancing ecosystem restoration in the Western Balkans: Capacity building on KM‑GBF Target 2 from policy to practice

In response, IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) is convening a regional "Capacity building training on ecosystem restoration: KM‑GBF Target 2 – from policy to practice”, bringing together representatives of public institutions, relevant ministries and civil society organisations from the Western Balkans. The training strengthens technical knowledge and institutional capacities to support effective implementation of the Kunming‑Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM‑GBF), with a particular focus on Target 2, which calls for the restoration of degraded ecosystems to enhance biodiversity, ecosystem integrity and human well‑being.  

The Western Balkans is of high importance for Europe’s biodiversity. It hosts diverse forest, freshwater and mountain ecosystems that provide essential services such as flood regulation, carbon sequestration, and livelihoods for local communities. However, unsustainable use of natural resources, land use changes, climate extremes and limited capacity for planning and implementing adequate restoration projects, continue to slow progress from policy commitments to action on the ground. This training addresses that gap by linking global targets to national and local practice, underscoring the role of Nature‑based Solutions (NbS) as practical, cost‑effective approaches to restoration that deliver biodiversity, climate and socio‑economic benefits simultaneously.  

“Achieving KM‑GBF Target 2 in the Western Balkans depends on our ability to connect policy ambition with practical restoration approaches that work in specific local contexts,” said Milica Radanović, Nature‑based Solutions Project Officer at IUCN ECARO. “This capacity‑building process supports institutions in transforming commitments into concrete, measurable restoration outcomes that benefit both biodiversity and people.” 

Participants will engage in technical sessions designed to enhance understanding of KM‑GBF Target 2, EU Nature Restoration Regulation as well as relevant Green Agenda for the Western Balkans actions, strengthen institutional capacities, and support the integration of ecosystem restoration into economy-level strategies, policies and sectoral planning.  

Learning on the ground: visit to Nature‑based Solutions intervention in Elbasan, Albania 

As part of the training, participants took part in an on‑site learning visit to a Nature‑based Solutions pilot area in Elbasan, Albania, together with members of the Biodiversity Task Force of the Western Balkans (BDTF WB), in close collaboration with the Municipality of Elbasan. The visit demonstrated how ecosystem restoration can deliver tangible environmental and social benefits when designed and implemented through participatory approaches, with active involvement and ownership by municipal authorities and the local community.  

Located in the Shkumbini River basin, Elbasan faces increasing vulnerability to climate change, including more frequent extreme rainfall, soil erosion and flooding. The NbS interventions in the area have been designed to restore highly degraded forest landscapes and strengthen community resilience through strong collaboration with local stakeholders. Key restoration measures include the planting of 8,500 native tree seedlings, natural forest regeneration where vegetation remained, direct grass seeding, and sediment control using over 50 double‑brushwood check dams. To ensure success, urgent maintenance measures such as weed control and manual irrigation were implemented in 2025, followed by the replanting of over 2,500 seedlings in early spring 2026. Covering more than 8.2 hectares, the restored area is already delivering tangible benefits for both nature and people. The intervention enhances ecosystem resilience, reduces land degradation and flood risks, and supports biodiversity recovery, while also creating long‑term socio‑economic benefits for local communities through improved ecosystem services. 

By combining policy dialogue, technical capacity building and field‑based learning, the training reinforces IUCN’s commitment to supporting countries in the Western Balkans to deliver on global biodiversity targets through inclusive, science‑based and locally adapted ecosystem restoration.  

The training is organised as part of the ADAPT 2.0: Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in the Western Balkans initiative, supported by Sweden.