A Task Force on Best Practices: Preparing the Ground for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030

Unsustainable land use and the destruction of natural ecosystems have contributed to global land degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss. To prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly proclaimed 2021–2030 the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. All ecosystems, terrestrial and aquatic, have the potential to be restored. For the UN Decade, ecosystem restoration encompasses a wide continuum of activities that contribute to protecting intact ecosystems, avoiding further degradation and repairing degraded ones. It means that restoration can happen in many ways and that it is not always possible – or desirable – to return an ecosystem to its original state. In that case, the goal is to optimize ecosystem functions and services, and to improve management practices and governance. To support the implementation of the Decade, a FAO-led Task Force on Best Practices was established. This task force focuses on shaping the knowledge component of the UN Decade, including capacity development efforts and capitalization as well as sharing and dissemination of good practices for restoration in all ecosystems.