IUCN and the UN Decade Ecosystem Restoration Hub Webinar: Success Stories and Guidance from West, Central, and South Asia

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world, for the benefit of people and nature. The UN Decade Ecosystem Restoration Hub is a digital meeting place for this movement, acting as a space to gather implementers, supporters, and partners. IUCN's supports the UN Decade by acting as an Ecosystem Restoration Hub Referring Partner, inviting the entire Union to share their restoration contributions through the Hub. The IUCN and the UN Decade Ecosystem Restoration Hub webinar series subsequently serve as a space to encourage IUCN Members and partners to get involved with the digital movement.

Hosted on July 7th, 2026, the third webinar in the series was specifically geared towards restoration professionals and organisations across West and Central Asia. The webinar opened with an intervention by UNEP Digital-Ecosystems Interface Specialist, Emilly Niringiye, who provided guidance on how to contribute initiatives to the Hub, inviting particpants to share their restoration successes. Furthermore, Niringiye outlined the many benefits of the platform, especially as a tool for restoration projects of any size to gain exposure, attract volunteers and funders, and find partners. 

Following this guidance on the function of the Hub, IUCN Regional Office for West Asia (ROWA) Regional Director, Hany El Shaer, provided a brief overview of successful restoration work being carried out in West Asia, highlighting the importance of ongoing projects like the Al Ula Ecosystem Restoration Project. He also emphasized that while the region is often synonymous with dryland or desert landscapes, restoration remains a crucial tool in mitigating climate change, protecting biodiversity, ensuring human livelihood, and combatting land degradation and water scarcity.  

"West Asia is home to diverse ecosystems that sustain both biodiversity and communities, despite the environmental challenges the region faces” said Dr Hany El Shaer. "By bringing restoration initiatives together on the UN Decade Ecosystem Restoration Hub, we can showcase the region's achievements, strengthen collaboration, and inspire greater investment in nature-based solutions that deliver lasting benefits for people, ecosystems, and climate resilience."  

Next, Liubov Timofeeva, IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) Nature-based Solutions Programme Manager, offered an overview of restoration work in Central Asia. Through recent initiatives like Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration Impact Program (FOLUR), the Dryland Sustainable Landscape Impact Program (DSL-IP), and Accelerating Action for Resilience and Innovation in Drought Risk Management (ARID), IUCN has worked to scale up sustainable value chains, reverse drought and desertification, and increase the Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for restoration acorss Central Asia.  

The webinar then welcomed, IUCN ROWA Drylands, Livelihoods and Gender Regional Programme Manager, Laith Alrahahleh to speak about the Healthy Ecosystems for Rangeland Development (HERD) project. This project, dedicated to strengthening the restoration and sustainable management practices of degraded rangelands, has mobilized more than 500 community members to bring more than 580 hectares of land under restoration in Jordan and Egypt. Furthermore, by combining ecological restoration with community participation, the project generated long term seriocomic benefits.  

"Restoring ecosystems is one of the most effective investments we can make for people and nature. Across West Asia, restoration is helping revive degraded rangelands, conserve biodiversity, enhance climate resilience, and create sustainable opportunities for local communities” said Dr. Laith Alrahaleh. The HERD project demonstrates the value of partnerships and locally led action in achieving lasting restoration outcomes. By sharing these experiences through the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration Hub, we hope to encourage greater collaboration and inspire restoration efforts at an even larger scale."

Lastly, Cheikh Mohamedou, IUCN ROWA Ecosystem Management Specialist, presented on the Taziz Project. This project is currently working to restore degraded dryland and Mediterranean ecosystems in southern Jordan, while improving the livelihoods of the communities that depend on them. The project has already restored 539 hectares of land, safeguarding biodiversity, reducing land degradation and erosion risk, while creating income opportunities.

"The TAZIZ Project demonstrates that ecosystem restoration can generate tangible benefits for both nature and people” said Cheikh Mohamedou. "By restoring degraded forest landscapes while improving livelihoods for local communities, particularly women and youth, we are building resilience that reaches further and lasts longer. Sharing these experiences through the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration Hub helps amplify successful approaches and encourages greater collaboration to scale up restoration efforts across the region."

These restoration success stories case are just a sample of the work being done across West and Central Asia. The full library of restoration initiatives submitted to the Decade, in this region and beyond, can be found at UN Decade Ecosystem Restoration Hub. Furthermore, IUCN will continue to explore Union contributions to the Decade in the coming weeks and months.  Join us as we explore what restoration looks like at IUCN and beyond.  

Learn more about the webinar series:  

• Upcoming Americas Webinar (August 4, 2026)
• Upcoming Europe Webinar (July 21, 2026)  
• Asia-Pacific Webinar Story
• Africa Webinar Story

• West and Central Asia Webinar Recording: