IUCN and the UN Decade Ecosystem Restoration Hub Webinar: Success Stories and Guidance from Europe and the Mediterranean

In 2021, the United Nations launched the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration to connect and empower bodies around the world to act together to prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide. The UN Decade Ecosystem Restoration Hub is the digital meeting place of this movement, and the dedicated knowledge sharing platform of the UN Decade. As a referring partner, IUCN works to advance the mission and messages of the Hub. This webinar served as an important place to connect the Union and the broader restoration community to advance the UN Decade Hub's goals.  

The session was opened with a brief intervention by Boris Erg, Regional Director of the IUCN European Regional Office (EURO). His intervention emphasized the importance of viewing ecosystem restoration as a long-term commitment. Building upon this idea, he highlighted the 2024 EU Nature Restoration Regulation—a continent-wide law which sets binding targets to restore degraded ecosystems with the goal of restoring all degraded land within Europe by 2050—and an ambitious, but much needed framework to set the region up for restoration future success.

Following this introduction, the webinar welcomed Emilly Niringiye, UNEP Digital-Ecosystems Interface Specialist. In her presentation, she addressed how the Hub was built to address the pressing question of building of community and connection while striving for the goal of restoring one billion hectares by 2030. Building on this idea, she encouraged webinar participants to share in the responsibility of restoration by getting involved in the Hub and reporting their own successes.  

Following this discussion, Dr. Mónica Hernández Morcillo, IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (Med) Senior Project Officer, presented IUCN Med's restoration project portfolio. Her intervention showcased the unique interface of dryland and forest ecosystems in the Mediterranean, and the unique challenges that come with this landscape leading to nearly 80 million hectares of degraded land. Expanding this idea, Dr Morcillo also highlighted the important restoration pathways taking place in the region, ranging from Forest Landscape Restoration to cultural heritage to Nature-based Solutions (NbS).  

Pilar Marín Cabeza, IUCN Med Marine and Coastal Project Officer, elaborated on these restoration pathways, highlighting the REST-COAST initiative. Since 2021, this project has brought 5,000 hectares of coastal and marine areas under restoration across 9 pilot sites through upscaled coastal restoration—providing benefits such as increased biodiversity, carbon sequestration, improved public awareness, reduced cost of coastal hazards, and country specific restoration plans.    

Finally, IUCN Forest and Grasslands Programme Officer, Katherine Poe, offered insights into restoration work taking place across Eastern Europe. Through projects such as ADAPT 2.0, the Forest Restoration in North Macedonia and Albania initiative, and the Restoring Ecosystems to Reduce Drought Risk and Increase Resilience project the region has helped build capacity for nature restoration, scale up NbS, and implement inclusive restoration policy.  

These case studies are just a small sample of the restoration work being done to advance the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration in Europe. IUCN will continue to discuss contributions to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration across the Union through regional webinars. Additionally, the full library of restoration initiatives submitted to the Decade, in Europe and beyond, can be found on the UN Decade Ecosystem Restoration Hub.  

The full webinar recording is available to view online.