In the face of the climate crisis and threats to food security, a safe water supply and biodiversity, GLF Bonn 2019 sought to hear the voices of Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women and youth – all of those with the greatest stake in confronting such global challenges. The forum did not avoid identifying hurdles, most of which stem from conflicting rights and interests, that hinder cooperation to rapidly secure the rights to a healthy life for present and future generations.

Across the world, companies with a wide range of business models are making money from planting trees. These restoration enterprises are proving that restoring degraded forests and agricultural lands is not only good for the planet, but a good business opportunity as well.

Almost one-quarter of the world’s land area has been degraded over the past 50 years because of soil erosion, salinization, peatland and wetland drainage, and forest degradation. The resulting damage, in terms of lost ecosystem goods and services, costs the world an estimated US$6.3 trillion a year.

During the Bonn Challenge 3.0 high-level meeting in Brazil in March 2018, El Salvador indicated its intention to seek the proclamation of the “UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration 2021 – 2030”. This concept note sets out the context, rationale and purpose of this initiative. The distribution of this concept note is intended to reach the international community including governmental and non-governmental actors, UN agencies, and civil society.

Join us in Bonn on June 22–23 alongside the inter-sessional climate talks where the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) will focus the world’s attention on the fundamental importance of rights to address the current environmental crisis. In accelerating action toward creating landscapes that are productive, prosperous, equitable and resilient, the GLF is building its reach to 1 billion people across the world.

Over the past several years, commitments and pledges on ‘no deforestation, no peat, no exploitation’ (NDPE) have been made throughout the Indonesian palm oil sector, primarily in response to pressure from NGOs and the public. The NDPE pledges aimed to transform an industry with social and environmental challenges into one that works for people, nature and business.

The outcome statement for GLF Bonn 2018, featuring the key insights and takeaways from the event that took place December 1-2.

Constructive critique. This book provides a critical, evidence-based analysis of REDD+ implementation so far, without losing sight of the urgent need to reduce forest-based emissions to prevent catastrophic climate change.

REDD+ as envisioned has not been tested at scale. Results-based payment, the novel feature of REDD+, has gone untested. International funding (both public and private) remains scarce, and demand through carbon markets is lacking.

Although Tanzania looks back onto a long history of land degradation, it has seen significant restoration efforts even before the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR 100) was launched. Building on this experience, the fact sheet highlights the main landscape restoration approaches employed in the country and elaborates on the major constraints as well as enabling conditions for FLR.

The Mau Forest Complex forms the largest closed canopy forest ecosystem in Kenya and is an asset of great national and regional importance. The complex supports a wide range of environmental services crucial for the socioeconomic development of the region. Despite its critical importance in sustaining current and future economic development, the forest has been adversely affected by extensive illegal, irregular and ill-planned settlements, in addition to illegal forest resources extraction.

In 2017, Cameroon committed to restore forests and degraded lands over more than 12 million hectares across all ecosystems by 2030 as part of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR 100). The fact sheet elaborates on the status of the commitments made and highlights key restoration efforts and major constraints to FLR in practice.

Although Tanzania looks back onto a long history of land degradation, it has seen significant restoration efforts even before the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR 100) was launched. Building on this experience, the fact sheet highlights the main landscape restoration approaches employed in the country and elaborates on the major constraints as well as enabling conditions for FLR.