United Nations World Restoration Flagships

The World Restoration Flagship Programme is recognized under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration,and it aims to combat ecosystem degradation through extensive restoration efforts. Its significance lies in their international acknowledgment, attracting investments, and receiving comprehensive support from the United Nations (UN) in technical and financial dimensions. These 17 initiatives feature prominently in UN publications, campaigns, and advocacy efforts. The World Restoration Flagships collectively represent a significant step toward a sustainable and resilient future by showcasing the effectiveness of large-scale restoration efforts globally.

The UN first unveiled the World Restoration Flagship initiatives at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, Canada in 2022 to honour best examples of large-scale and long term ecosystem restoration projects. Various countries have committed to restore 1 billion hectares of degraded land under various agreements like the Aichi Targets, Bonn Challenge and Paris Climate Convention, however not much is known of the progress on these targets. Hence, the World Restoration Flagship Programme hopes to attract attention to the projects which are setting an example.

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration(2021-30) is a call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world, for the benefit of people and nature. It aims to halt the degradation of ecosystems, and restore them to achieve global goals.

The World Restoration Flagships Programme is under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration which is jointly led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and FAO(Food and Agriculture Organization). Its mission is to prevent, cease, and reverse ecosystem degradation globally, spanning every continent and ocean. The flagships initiatives are recognised by the UN through its World Restoration Flagship Award. This award is also part of the UN Decade.

Aim: Tracking notable initiatives that support global commitments to restore one billion hectares – an area larger than China.There are in total 17 Flagships.

• International Acknowledgement: The inclusion in the programme represents a prestigious global acknowledgment and celebration of the remarkable success stories in ecosystem restoration.
• Attraction of Investments: It ensures a heightened level of global attention, making these initiatives attractive to investments and collaborations on an international scale. They are part of an accelerated investment by governments and private donors, notably reflected in USD 1.4 billion provided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council.
• Comprehensive Support from UN in Technical and Financial Dimensions of up to USD 500,000 per selected initiative (only for developing countries).
• Inclusion in the UN Secretary-General’s Report:
It ensures being listed in the comprehensive report submitted to the UN General Assembly.
• Prominent Feature in UN Decade’s Initiatives: Flagship initiatives take center stage in various initiatives under the UN Decade and get prominently featured in publications, campaigns, outreach programs, advocacy efforts, and educational endeavors.

• The World Restoration Flagships are chosen as the best examples of ongoing, large-scale and long-term ecosystem restoration.
• They are chosen by the Task Forces for Science and Best Practices of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
• The initial restoration success criteria includes compliance with the ten principles for ecosystem restoration. Selection follows a thorough review process with over 60 indicators and criteria, based on the the 10 Restoration Principles of the UN Decade.
• They must then be approved by its Executive Board to be chosen as Flagships

In February 2024, the United Nations(UN) announced seven new initiatives under the World Restoration Flagships. These initiatives are spread across Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Mediterranean. These initiatives, recognized under the UN Decade, aim to combat ecosystem degradation resulting from wildfires, drought, deforestation, and pollution through comprehensive restoration efforts.

1. Terai Arc Landscape Initiative - Nepal: This initiative is geared towards the protection of a biodiversity hotspot shared by India and Nepal, focusing on the restoration of 350,000 hectares of forests by 2030. (Explained in Detail below)
2. Restoring Mediterranean Forests Initiative - Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Türkiye: This initiative aims for an ambitious restoration target of over 8 million hectares by 2030.
3. Living Indus Initiative - Pakistan: With the goal of restoring 25 million hectares of the Indus river basin by 2030, this initiative seeks to enhance the health of this vital water system.
4. Mangrove Regeneration Initiative - Sri Lanka: Targeting the restoration of 10,000 hectares of mangroves by 2030, this initiative focuses on the preservation of crucial coastal ecosystems.
5. Regreening Africa - Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Kenya, Senegal, Somalia: This initiative aims to restore 5 million hectares by 2030, fostering biodiversity and supporting local communities.
6. Acción Andina - Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Perú: This initiative focuses on securing land titles for local communities and protecting forests from mining and timber exploitation across the Andean region.
7. African Farmers Transforming Food Systems - Mali, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya: This initiative collaborates closely with farmers on degraded lands, aiming to counteract the impacts of unsustainable agriculture, deforestation, pollution, and climate change.

1. Namami Ganga - India: This flagship is an Integrated Conservation Mission which focuses on reforesting parts of the river’s basin and promoting sustainable farming practices.
2. Building with Nature in Indonesia: Adopting an innovative approach, this initiative utilizes semi-permeable sea walls made of natural materials to trap mud and sediments, rather than solely relying on planting mangroves.
3. Central American Dry Corridor - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama: Aiming to scale up restoration efforts, this flagship utilizes lessons learned from on-the-ground initiatives to counter land degradation, poverty, and emigration in the region.
4. Small Island Developing States - Vanuatu, Comoros, Saint Lucia: Focused on small island developing states, this flagship aims to scale up ridge-to-reef restoration and leverage blue economic growth for post-pandemic recovery.
5. Multi-country Mountain Flagship - Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kyrgyzstan, Rwanda, Serbia, Uganda: Showcasing initiatives in diverse regions, this flagship aims to enhance the resilience of mountain ecosystems, benefiting both people and unique upland wildlife.
6. Great Green Wall - Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sudan, Chad: This grand initiative seeks to restore savannas, grasslands, and farmlands across Africa.
7. Shan-Shui Initiative - China: Comprising 75 large-scale initiatives, this ambitious project aims to restore ecosystems from mountains to coastal estuaries across China.
8. Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative - Kazakhstan: This initiative focuses on restoring steppe, semi-desert, and desert ecosystems within the historic range of the critically endangered saiga antelope.
9. Trinational Atlantic Forest Pact - Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay: Aiming to restore 1,000,000 hectares by 2030, this pact focuses on the preservation of the Atlantic Forest.
10. Abu Dhabi Marine Restoration - United Arab Emirates: With the goal of safeguarding the world’s second-largest dugong population, this initiative focuses on restoring seagrass beds, coral reefs, and mangroves along the Gulf coast.

• It is a transboundary biodiversity hotspot shared by Nepal and India, launched in 2001.
• It is an 800 km stretch between the river Yamuna in the west and the river Bhagmati in the east and It comprises the Shivalik hills, the adjoining bhabhar areas and the Terai flood plains. It spreads across the Indian States of Uttarakhand, Bihar & Uttar Pradesh.
• There are various Tiger Reserves, National Parks and wildlife sanctuaries included in Terai Arc Landscape such as Corbett & Dudhwa Tiger reserves, Chitwan & Rajaji National Park, and Nepal’s Bardia Wildlife sanctuary. These house three flagship species i) Bengal Tiger ii) One Horned Rhino & iii) Asian Elephant.
• This initiative has focused on restoring the forests of critical corridors of the Terai Arc Landscape and collaborates with local communities working as citizen scientists, community based anti-poaching units, forest guards and social mobilizers
• Almost 350,000 hectares is expected to be restored by 2030.

• It is an integrated conservation mission of Union Govt, approved as ‘Flagship Programme’ of govt in 2014 with budget outlay of Rs.20,000 Crores.
• This mission is administered by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterpart organisations State Program Management Groups (SPMGs).
• The focus of the programme is on creating sewage treatment capacity and riverfront development, engaging in River Surface cleaning and monitoring the Industrial Effluent discharge.

The World Restoration Flagships collectively represent a significant programme in combating ecosystem degradation. These initiatives showcase the feasibility and efficacy of large-scale ecosystem restoration efforts, and demonstrate their tangible benefits for biodiversity, human well-being, and climate resilience. The World Restoration Flagships signify a pivotal step toward a more sustainable and resilient future for our planet.