The 4th of December is Land Day at UNCCD COP16. Humanity is only as healthy as our lands are. Yet over 40% of the global population are negatively impacted by land degradation. Over 2 billion hectares of land worldwide are degraded, with experts warning that without action, this could grow to 6 billion hectares.
Countries have promised to restore 1 billion hectares of degraded ecosystems by 2030. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration works on moving these commitments to action on the ground. As part of these efforts, UN World Restoration Flagships are celebrated and supported, to recognize the most successful, inspiring and ambitious large-scale restoration drives.
This Moonshot session will share their success stories – to draw lessons learned for the years ahead in our global race to restoration.
- Opening remarks
- Story 1: Altyn Dala Conservation Initiative
- Story 2: Central American Dry Corridor
- Story 3: Regreening Africa
- Story 4: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's ecosystem restoration efforts
- Story 5: Restoring Mediterranean Forests Initiative
- Story 6: The Great Green Wall
- Closing
- Natalia Alekseeva, Coordinator, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, UN Environment Programme
- Raul Artiga, Central American Commission for the Environment and Development
- Mark Day, RSPB Head of Kazakh Steppe Conservation Programme. Altyn Dala Initiative, World Restoration Flagship
- Leigh Winowiecki, Land & Soil Team Lead, CIFOR-ICRAF / Regreening Africa World Restoration Flagship
- Ahmad Alanazi, Director of the National Greening Programme, National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification, Saudi Arabia
- Chadi Mohanna, Director of Rural Development and Natural Resources, Ministry of Agriculture of Lebanon, Mediterranean Forests World Restoration Flagship
- Assoumane Mamane, Great Green Wall focal point Niger