IUCN CEM Ecosystem Restoration Thematic Group Webinar

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Join us for the December session of the “Ecosystem Restoration: Global Initiatives in Science and Practice” webinar series, hosted by the Ecosystem Restoration Thematic Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Commission on Ecosystem Management (IUCN CEM).

Title: An action plan to address systemic capacity needs for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. 

Presenter: Robin Chazdon

Abstract: An FAO-led Taskforce on Best Practices was established to enhance knowledge dissemination and system-wide capacity-development efforts throughout the UN Decade. The Capacity, Knowledge and Learning Action Plan is one of the main outputs of the Taskforce. The final draft of the Action Plan was completed in November 2022 as the culmination of three Taskforce activities conducted during 2020–2022: 1) a global capacity needs online assessment; 2) a stocktaking of knowledge products and capacity-development initiatives; and 3) extensive targeted consultations with different global and regional stakeholder groups. The Action Plan acknowledges the need to enhance all forms of capital of those involved in restoration: human, natural, social, built, political, financial and cultural. The eight initiatives that compose the Action Plan emphasize the need to mainstream restoration knowledge in education and natural resource management programmes at all levels, including by instructing and empowering current and future generations of professionals, educators, policymakers, private-sector leaders, implementers, practitioners, researchers, youth leaders, community leaders and volunteers. It also highlights the importance of learning and sharing knowledge developed by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and recognizing their contributions to current restoration efforts around the world. In the presentation, I will describe the eight initiatives and elaborate on how they will enhance capacity, knowledge, and learning across different stakeholder groups engaged in ecosystem restoration at local, regional, and global scales.