Launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration during World Environment Day 2021
This year, World Environment Day is hosted by Pakistan on the theme of “Ecosystem Restoration” under the campaign “Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.”. It marks the beginning of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030, a global mission to revive billions of hectares, from forests to farmlands, from the top of mountains to the depth of the sea.
During World Environment Day 2021, different official events and celebrations will be held, as well as calls for urgent action to revive our damaged ecosystems.
The Virtual Launch Gala welcoming the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration will be held on Friday 4, 15-16:45 CEST with UN Secretary General António Guterres and UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen.
Take a look at the agenda here
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is a rallying 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. Only with healthy ecosystems can we enhance people’s livelihoods, counteract climate change, and stop the collapse of biodiversity.
The UN Decade runs from 2021 through 2030, which is also the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals and the timeline scientists have identified as the last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change.
The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed the UN Decade following a proposal for action by over 70 countries from all latitudes.
Ecosystem Restoration Playbook
To encourage the revival of ecosystems everywhere, the UN Environment Programme has published a practical guide to ecosystem restoration. The Ecosystem Restoration Playbook provides an introduction to the range of actions that can slow and halt the degradation of ecosystems and foster their recovery.
Designed for all interested individuals and stakeholder groups, the guide outlines three pathways to getting involved in ecosystem restoration during the UN Decade and beyond:
- Taking action such as starting or support an onthe-ground restoration project
- Making smart choices like buying only sustainable products and changing diets
- Raising your voice in support of ecosystem conservation and restoration
The 21-page guide describes approaches to restoring eight key types of ecosystem – forests, farmlands, grassland and savannahs, rivers and lakes, oceans and coasts, towns and cities, peatlands, and mountains. It also lays out how all parts of society – from individuals and community groups to businesses and governments – can become part of #GenerationRestoration, a global movement to restore ecosystems everywhere for the good of people and nature.
Learn more about World Environment Day and how you can get involved
