UN reports largest ecosystem restoration but warns it won't reach 2030

Nearly 150 nations are currently engaged in the largest ecosystem restoration operation ever recorded, yet United Nations officials warn that current pace is insufficient to meet global targets set for 2030. A new report reveals that approximately 252 million hectares of nature are undergoing recovery across 149 countries. While this scale represents an unprecedented level of activity, the data indicates that the world is falling short of the ambitious goals established under international biodiversity frameworks. Doreen Robinson, deputy director of the ecosystems division at the United Nations Environment Programme, described the findings as the biggest restoration operation in history during a press conference held in Nairobi. The total area under restoration equates to the surface size of Argentina or Algeria. The report was released during the seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties on biological diversity, which is taking place in Armenia until the end of this week. Delegates from member states are using this forum to attempt to realign their commitments regarding biodiversity conservation. The majority of these restoration efforts are focused on terrestrial areas, accounting for 232 million hectares. This figure represents half of the specific objective set for land-based ecosystems. However, progress in aquatic environments remains significantly lower. Only 11 million hectares have been addressed in continental waters, while just 5.7 million hectares have been targeted in marine and coastal zones. According to the UN, these numbers remain far below the fixed objectives for freshwater and marine ecosystems, which are degrading at a particularly rapid rate. States previously committed to halting biodiversity loss and protecting the planet within the framework of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, spanning from 2021 to 2030. This initiative includes the Kunming-Montreal agreement adopted in 2022, which aims to ensure that at least 30 percent of terrestrial and marine areas are protected by the end of the decade. The report notes that current policies have generated one million jobs in the sector. To align with the broader goal of reaching 32 million employment opportunities by 2030, the report states that the current pace of restoration efforts must triple to achieve the target of one billion hectares. Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Programme, stated that the world is witnessing the formation of one of the largest movements for nature in recorded history. She cautioned that despite the momentum, the necessary scale and speed are not yet achieved. By 2030, she argued, inspiring initiatives must transform into system-wide action, shifting toward restoration economies that both protect remaining habitats and repair degraded ones. The report emphasizes that annual restoration financing must more than quadruple to close the gap, with a specific call for increased private sector funding. Regional disparities are evident in the data. Asia accounts for 192.2 million hectares of the total documented area under restoration. Within this region, China leads globally in terrestrial restoration with 137 million hectares, surpassing efforts in Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Ethiopia. The study highlights that the global movement extends beyond national governments to include cities, schools, businesses, and community groups. Since the launch of the decade-long initiative, the partnership network has expanded to over 300 organizations across all regions. The report, titled Nature's Comeback, was co-published by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Environment Programme, and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. During the launch event, five outstanding initiatives in China, Colombia, Ethiopia, Italy, and the United States were recognized as UN World Restoration Flagships. These designations highlight successful restoration drives intended to serve as models for future efforts. The assessment serves as the first comprehensive global review of progress against the commitment to restore roughly one billion hectares of degraded ecosystems.