Enviro News Asia, Ulaanbaatar — The United Nations has recognized three major ecosystem restoration initiatives in Brazil, the Sahel region and Saudi Arabia as new World Restoration Flagships for their efforts to restore degraded landscapes, strengthen food security and improve resilience to drought, desertification and climate change.
The awards were jointly led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030. The three initiatives were recognized during a high-level event at the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Together, the three initiatives have committed to restoring almost 5 million hectares by 2030, equivalent to nearly 7 million football fields. Their efforts contribute to the broader global commitment to restore one billion hectares of degraded land by 2030.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said restoring degraded land should become a global priority because of its links to food security, land degradation neutrality, biodiversity, food diversity and the climate crisis.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said investment in healthy land can strengthen food systems and resilience while creating jobs and supporting millions of people.
UNCCD Executive Secretary Dr Yasmine Fouad also emphasized that land degradation, drought and ecosystem loss have become fundamental challenges to food and water security as well as economic stability.
Brazil Targets 2 Million Hectares of Cerrado Restoration
In Brazil, the Araticum Initiative, titled “Restoring Brazil’s Cerrado Savannah,” focuses on restoring the Cerrado, one of the world’s most biodiverse tropical savannah ecosystems.
The initiative brings together more than 180 organizations, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, farmers, researchers and government institutions across nine Brazilian states.
Restoration activities include natural regeneration, direct seeding, restoration and agroforestry using native species.
As of June 2026, more than 27,000 hectares had been placed under restoration, while seeds from more than 150 native plant species had been collected and used in restoration activities. The initiative aims to restore 2 million hectares by 2030.
Saudi Arabia Expands Restoration of Arid Landscapes
Saudi Arabia’s National Greening Program is working to restore degraded landscapes across rangelands, forests, deserts, urban areas and coastal ecosystems, including mangroves.
The program aims to restore 2.5 million hectares and plant 215 million trees by 2030. It also seeks to generate up to 187,000 jobs and improve urban air quality.
As of June 2026, the program had restored 1 million hectares of degraded land and planted 159 million trees.
Restoration measures include reforestation, natural regeneration, controlled grazing, the reintroduction of native wildlife such as Arabian oryx, gazelles and ibex, rainwater harvesting, and the use of treated wastewater in water-scarce landscapes.
The program forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader national goal of restoring 40 million hectares and planting 10 billion trees by 2100.
Sahel Initiative Connects Land Restoration and Food Security
In the Sahel, the Sahel Integrated Resilience Initiative is addressing the combined challenges of conflict, land degradation, drought, food insecurity and climate change.
Implemented across Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, the initiative combines land restoration with livelihood and food-system support, including assistance for cross-border refugees from war-torn Sudan.
Led by the World Food Programme, the initiative had restored more than 335,000 hectares of degraded land by June 2026 and aims to restore 470,000 hectares by 2030.
Its activities include land rehabilitation, soil and water management, livelihood support and school feeding programs. More than 4 million people across the region have benefited from the initiative.
Restoration as a Foundation for Resilience
The three new World Restoration Flagships join a network of 27 restoration initiatives recognized under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
The initiatives are intended to demonstrate how large-scale and long-term ecosystem restoration can strengthen environmental resilience while delivering benefits for food security, livelihoods and local communities.
Countries have committed to restoring one billion hectares of degraded land as part of their commitments under the Paris Agreement, biodiversity targets, Land Degradation Neutrality targets and the Bonn Challenge.
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration uses the Framework for Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring to track progress and assess restoration efforts globally. (*)
