From restoring forests to river basins, seven conservation initiatives across continents recognised by UN
- The United Nations named seven initiatives from across Africa, Latin America, the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia as the intergovernmental organisation’s World Restoration Flagships
- The projects revolve around revival and preservation of ecosystems at the tipping point of outright degradation caused by wildfires, drought, deforestation and pollution.
Key Highlights
- The award conferred by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN
- Makes the initiatives eligible for technical and financial support from the organisation.
- The awards serve as a part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, led by the two agencies.
- Along with this, over eight million hectares are planned for restoration by 2030.”
- The Living Indus initiative received approval from the Pakistan parliament in the wake of the devastating 2022 climate change-induced floods.
- Its official launch took place at the 27th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Sharm el-Sheikh.
- The initiative aims to restore 25 million hectares of the river basin by 2030, encompassing 30 percent of Pakistan’s surface area through the implementation of 25 high-impact interventions for policymakers, practitioners and civil society.
- It designates the Indus River as a living entity with rights
- A measure taken to protect rivers elsewhere as well.
- It involves Australia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, India, New Zealand, Peru and Sri Lanka.
- The Acción Andina social movement led by Peruvian conservation non-profit ECOAN aims to protect and restore a forest area of one million hectares.
- “They are expected to benefit from the initiative by 2030 in various ways-from access to medicine, solar panels, and clean-burning clay stoves
- To improve grazing management, sustainable agriculture, microbusiness, and ecotourism management of Indigenous cultures.
- The Sri Lanka Mangrove Regeneration initiative is a science-driven programme co-led by local communities.
- It focuses on the restoration of natural balance in the ecosystem. Since its launch in 2015, efforts have led to 500 hectares of restored mangroves, according to the UN statement.
- The Terai Arc Landscape initiative aimed to
- Restore the forests of critical corridors of the Terai Arc Landscape in collaboration with local communities working
- as citizen scientists, community-based anti-poaching units, forest guards, among others.
- Growing forests in Africa's drylands initiative aims to expand from 41,000 restored hectares today to 229,000 hectares by 2030.
- “Ecosystem restoration is a long-term solution in the fight to eradicate poverty, hunger and malnutrition,
- As we face population growth and increased need for foods and ecosystem goods and services,
Prelims Takeaway
- Terai Arc Landscape initiative
- Sri Lanka Mangrove Regeneration initiative