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ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION PLAYBOOK

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO HEALING THE PLANET

Developed for 2021 To kick off the Decade on Restoration (2021-2030)

decadeonrestoration.org TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction...... 3 Why are so important...... 5 How to join #GenerationRestoration...... 6 Get informed!...... 7 Use your strength...... 8 Restoration action – Principles and guidelines...... 10 Ecosystem by ecosystem – what restoration can look like...... 11 and ...... 12 Rivers and lakes...... 13 Towns and ...... 14 Oceans and coasts...... 15 Farmlands and ...... 16 Mountains...... 17 Peatlands...... 18 Choices for restoration...... 19 Raise your voice for #GenerationRestoration...... 20

2 INTRODUCTION

Earth needs help. The emergency, the loss If you are ready to join #GenerationRestoration, of nature and deadly threaten to destroy this guide will show you how. It will help you to our home and eliminate many of the millions of identify opportunities for on-the-ground restora- species that share this beautiful planet with us. tion in your area and find partners and support. It But this degradation is not inevitable. We have the will also show you how to relieve the pressure on power and the knowledge to reverse the harm and ecosystems by changing what you do and what restore the Earth – if we act now. you buy, and by encouraging everyone to get serious about . That is why the United Nations has declared the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Starting on Find more about the UN Decade on World Environment Day 2021, individuals, groups, decadeonrestoration.com and on social media governments, businesses and organizations of all under #GenerationRestoration. This movement kinds can join forces in a global movement to has begun! prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation and secure a sustainable future for all.

Ten years might seem a long time. But really, we are in a sprint. By 2030, we must nearly halve emissions to prevent devastating . Huge progress is needed to meet the Goals, from elimi- nating poverty and fighting disease to safeguard- ing . We need to bend the curve on – a frightening trend that may lead to the of 1 million species.

Healthy ecosystems are vital to meeting those goals. Restoring them is a massive challenge. But more and more people realize that we must change our ways and move urgently to protect

and rebuild nature for the sake of future genera- Cris van Wolffelaar | Just Diggit tions and out of love for the world we live in. ©

3 JOIN #GENERATIONRESTORATION ON WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY!

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is life, or the moment you and others begin speaking Whatever you do, celebrate the moment and launching on World Environment Day 2021. Held up for the environment. spread the word! Take pictures of your World every year on 5, World Environment Day is Environment Day activities and post them on the most important date on the calendar for For example, you can take action by: social media with the tag #GenerationRestoration celebrating our environment and ramping up • Announcing an ambitious restoration project or and #WorldEnvironmentDay to maximize your global efforts to protect the planet. policy initiative, whether at local, regional or contribution to the restoration movement. You national level – tell the world what role you will can use resources from the UN Decade’s visual This year, World Environment Day is dedicated to play in a ten-year push identity on your website, social media or printed the protection and revival of precious ecosystems • Volunteering for an existing restoration effort on a T-shirt or a sign. Read more about it in our all over the world. This is the perfect moment to • up a lake, beach, park or other natural area brand guide. join #GenerationRestoration and power change • Greening your home, business, school, or a for the better! public space with indigenous trees or plants While we want everyone to be able to celebrate World Environment Day and the UN Decade, You can make smart choices by: respect any COVID-19 restrictions in place where WHAT YOU CAN DO ON WORLD • Pledging a donation or other support for restora- you live, and move discussions and events ENVIRONMENT DAY tion or conservation initiatives online to keep everyone safe. Here are some • Halting purchases of products and services that considerations to keep in mind while you plan This guide is designed to help you get involved in are not certified as sustainable your celebrations: ecosystem restoration. It outlines three pathways • Starting a new diet or catering policy based on to join the movement and improve the well-being seasonal, sustainable and plant-rich products • Visit the official World Environment Day website of people and nature: taking action; making smart to stay up-to-date on the latest developments: choices; and raising your voice for restoration. You can raise your voice by: worldenvironmentday.global • Putting on or participating in an exhibition of • Use the hashtag #GenerationRestoration to be Why not set off along one – or all – of these path- posters, photos or art showing the beauty of featured on our Social Media Wall: decadeon- ways on World Environment Day? Read through the local ecosystems restoration.org/follow-generationrestoration guide for inspiration about how to get involved in • Holding a discussion about the value of ecosys- • Starting mid-April you can register your own the UN Decade. There are ideas for everyone, from tems and the threats they face World Environment Day event on the official site individuals, communities and organizations to • Staging an online campaign to draw attention to and read up on what others are planning businesses and government agencies. climate change, nature loss and what can be • Starting May, you will have access to social World Environment Day could mark the start of done to reverse these trends media assets, digital interactive and much your ambitious multi-year restoration project, the • Writing a letter to your local newspaper more to help you spread the word around your day you kick unsustainable products out of your plans in the leadup to June 5 and beyond

4 WHY ECOSYSTEMS ARE SO IMPORTANT

Ecosystems are the web of life on Earth. An eco- system comprises all the living organisms and the interactions among them and with their surround- ings in a given place. They exist at all scales, from a grain of soil to the entire planet, and include forests, rivers, wetlands, grasslands, estuaries and coral reefs. Cities and farmlands contain important human-modified ecosystems.

Ecosystems provide us with priceless benefits. They include a stable climate and breathable air; supplies of water, food and materials of all kinds; and protection from disaster and disease. Natural ecosystems are important for our physical and mental health, and for our identity. They are home to precious wildlife. For many, they are a source of wonder and spirituality.

All over the world, ecosystems face massive threats. Forests are being cleared; rivers and lakes polluted; wetlands and peatlands drained; coasts and oceans degraded and overfished; mountain soils eroded; and farmlands and grass- lands overexploited.

Unless we change our ways and protect and restore our ecosystems, we will not only destroy the landscapes we love, we will undermine the foundations of our own well-being and bequeath a degraded, inhospitable planet to future generations. Unsplash | Zindell Bailey ©

5 HOW TO JOIN #GENERATIONRESTORATION

Restoring ecosystems means protecting their biodiversity and helping them to deliver benefits for people and nature. It means using ecosystems on land and in the oceans in ways that strengthen their natural resources and processes. Actions for restoration can also mean preventing degradation or reducing its extent.

Here are three great ways to get involved:

ACTIONS CHOICES VOICES

Start your own on-the-ground Change your behaviour and Make your voice and ideas initiative, join an existing spending to shrink your local count in debates about how restoration or conservation and global environmental foot- to manage your local effort, or help build an alliance print and divert resources to- environment, and about how we to give a bigger boost to ward companies and activities can make our societies and nature’s comeback. that bring back nature instead of economies fairer and more harming it. Encourage others sustainable. Press decision around you to do the same. makers to do the right thing.

But before you embark on any of the three pathways: 6 GET INFORMED!

Acquire a good understanding of the ecosystems that matter to you, what is really causing their decline, and how you can realistically help them to recover. In particular:

1. KNOW YOUR LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS 2. KNOW THE DRIVERS OF DEGRADATION 3. KNOW THE ANSWER What kind of ecosystems are they? You can find There might be direct causes, such as land Once you have identified a degraded ecosystem the main types on the UN Decade website. Which conversion for or industry, or pollu- and understood why it is under threat, think about ones do people consider most valuable? What tion. But underlying factors might be more how you can turn things around. What needs to condition are they in, and how has that changed? important. These indirect drivers can include change? How can you make that happen? What Remember that relatives and neighbours with market forces, such as the demand for wildlife resources do you have? Who can help? Be ambi- long memories may have as many insights as products, social factors, such as poverty, govern- tious but also realistic and remember that restor- books or reports. ance issues, such as lack of agreement on who ing an ecosystem can take a long time. Even small can use which resources, and poorly enforced actions add up and every contribution matters! rules. Addressing them might require changes in government policy or business practices. Another way to learn about restoration before embarking on your own project is to volunteer with a local environmental organization or through a global portal.

• Ecosystem Restoration Camps offer the opportunity for local and global supporters to come together and jointly restore an ecosystem – one camp at a time. Camps follow local COVID-19 regulations in their operations.

• Are there restoration efforts near you that you could join? Chad Scott | Conservation Diver ©

7 USE YOUR STRENGTHS

Individuals, groups and organizations can join INDIVIDUALS WORKERS AND TRADE UNIONS #GenerationRestoration through any or all of the Your habits and consumer choices are in your Launch and implement local and national initia- three pathways. But all initiatives need to be hands, so do the right thing, and persuade your tives to restore ecosystems that are important to grounded in local realities, and some strategies friends and colleagues to join in. Take part and workers and union members and ask employers may fit better than others. Here are some of the speak up in private and public discussions about for support. Campaign for the protection of ways to consider your next steps. how to improve the local environment. Join, workers whose livelihoods and health may be donate to or volunteer for an organization that is threatened by ecosystem degradation. protecting and restoring nature. Learn about local ecosystems and what is ailing them. Restore your TEACHERS own balcony, roadside, yard or garden with plant- Teach students about ecosystems, sustainability ing and composting – it’s an ecosystem, too! and the risks of environmental decline so they become the ecosystem stewards of the future. FAITH LEADERS AND FAITH GROUPS Put the concepts into action with restoration Many faiths have clear teachings about caring for projects in the school compound and the local the natural world. Promote them through sermons community, for instance to nurture trees, use and discussions. Launch restoration projects that compost, adopt a local ecosystem and prevent draw on the dedication and skills of different pollution. Use school trips to demonstrate the group members. Green any properties and land value of healthy ecosystems. One Planted’s controlled by the community, including places of curriculum provides ideas for teaching about worship and remembrance. Be inspired by what restoration, from primary school to university. other faith groups are already doing. YOUTH GROUPS BUSINESSES Stand up for your future by raising your voices so Apply your business skills and financial resources that policy makers hear the call to protect and to a restoration project that benefits your local restore ecosystems. Organize those discussions area or the places you impact through your work. yourselves and invite environmental experts to Work with your staff to choose or design the speak and the wider public to listen so that project. Link with other liked-minded enterprises awareness of the benefits of restoration can to ramp up the scale. Green your procurement, blossom. Match all the words with deeds by production and distribution policies to reduce the volunteering collectively to get your hands dirty in footprint of your products and operations. Restore restoration projects, or devise and launch one of the ecosystem functions of your own premises. your own.

8 CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE current destructive trends. Design subsidies, Poll your members on the priorities for ecosystem If you live on your ancestral lands, you have a fiscal policy andCOVID-19 recovery packages to protection and restoration in your area. Find out unique responsibility – and often a long track boost ecosystem restoration. Use procurement to what skills you have in-house. Decide where you can record – in managing your land sustainably. accelerate the shift to sustainability. have the greatest impact. Would starting or support- Consider what lessons from indigenous knowl- ing a project be best? Are you better off presenting edge could be applied more widely to protect and SCIENTISTS thought-through policy options to political leaders restore ecosystems, and use platforms associated Deepen our understanding of the importance of for action? Or would organizing an education cam- with the UN Decade to spread the word and build ecosystems, the threats they face and develop paign be the way to go? Join an alliance or build on. alliances for sound environmental . solutions with insights from the social and natural Make the link between your work and the health of sciences. Lend your expertise to restoration our ecosystems – directly or indirectly. Trust your WOMEN initiatives and monitor their impacts to further expertise and make the connections. The and degradation of ecosys- refine our responses. Make use of innovations in tems is often linked to inequality, including unfair- technology – from remote sensing to artificial CITIES AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES ly restricted access to and control of natural intelligence – to help us better monitor the effects As well as undertaking your own restoration actions, resources by women. Integrate your restoration of restoration across ecosystems. you can enable and support private-sector and civil projects with steps to eliminate the exclusion of society restoration initiatives, especially those on and discrimination against women and other public land. You can be a strong local voice for disadvantaged groups so that sustainable devel- restoration and create platforms for others to amplify opment benefits everyone equally. #Generation- the message. Public contracting is another powerful Restoration and #GenerationEquality go hand in to promote sustainability. Research has shown hand: The Girl Scouts have launched a toolkit for that small shifts – like mowing urban lawns less getting young girls involved in . intensely – increases biodiversity and saves money. GOVERNMENTS FARMERS AND LIVESTOCK KEEPERS Create the conditions for a successful UN Decade As custodians of the land, you have a special respon- by designing and implementing economic policies sibility and opportunity to nurture and restore our and governance structures that improve environ- ecosystems. As well as trying some of the restora- mental management and fund on-the-ground res- tion approaches for farmlands and grasslands toration. Join the vanguard of global efforts to outlined below, you can cooperate with other actors combat climate change, biodiversity loss and land to restore whole landscapes that include many degradation. Take bold steps and pledge ambi- different ecosystems, both natural and modified. tious action to not only stop but reverse the

9 RESTORATION ACTION – PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES

So, you want to get your hands dirty? First, sharpen your pencil because effective restoration requires careful planning. But have no fear: restoration experts around the world have drawn up princi- ples, standards and toolkits that can help. Here are three principles that can be applied to all projects.

1. GET EVERYONE ON BOARD 2. SET GOALS AND MEASURE PROGRESS 3. HELP NATURE HELP ITSELF Inform and consult everyone who will be affected Based on what you have learned about the eco- We can’t always return degraded ecosystems to a by the project. Appreciate and learn from different system you want to protect or restore, decide pristine state, but we can make them function in a perspectives on nature and its benefits. Tapping what you want to achieve in what period, perhaps more natural and sustainable way. So, projects others’ knowledge and considering their interests with interim targets along the way. Find measura- should support natural processes, such as nutri- can win valuable new supporters for your project ble indicators that show whether you are making ent cycling, and prioritize indigenous species of and defuse opposition. progress, or if you need to adjust the project. plants and animals – rather than introducing ones that are foreign to the landscape. That can often have harmful effects.

There are several comprehensive sets of princi- ples for ecosystem restoration. Read up on the Society for Ecological Restora- tion’s international principles and standards. The joint report of the Global Partnership on and Landscape Restoration includes shared princi- ples (p.14) that can be applied in many ecosys- tems. The Agency’s principles of wetland restoration is also an excellent resource. Have an experienced project manager in your team? If not, check out the guide- lines for developing and managing projects from the Society for Ecological Restoration and these

Cris van Wolffelaar | Just Diggit steps for successful project development from © Restore America’s Estuaries.

10 ECOSYSTEM BY ECOSYSTEM – WHAT RESTORATION CAN LOOK LIKE

We are now taking a deep dive into seven ecosys- tems. But don’t be intimidated – there are actions for anyone and everyone to take in relation to each ecosystem. Read up on the ones you care about and find out what you can do.

FORESTS AND TREESRIVERS AND LAKES TOWNS AND CITIES OCEANS AND COASTS FARMLANDS AND GRASSLANDS MOUNTAINSPEATLANDS

11 FORESTS AND TREES Plant trees: Tree planting is a simple and hugely Forest landscape restoration: Well-resourced popular restoration activity. You can add trees to a projects can secure bigger restoration gains by garden, a public space, a farm, across a landscape looking at a whole landscape. The larger scale Forests and trees provide us with clean air and or even a whole country. Selective planting can can make it easier to balance different interests, water, capture vast amounts of climate-heating revitalize a forest degraded by overharvesting. But for instance by supporting sustainable farming in carbon and are home to most of Earth’s biodi- it is not enough to stick seedlings in the ground. some areas to reduce pressure on forests and let versity. They supply food and fodder, fuel and Many trees will die if you don’t protect or water trees re-grow on marginal land, or striking agree- materials, and support the livelihoods of billions them. People will help in this task if they are ments to protect forests that provide clean water of people. involved in the project – by helping to decide what supplies to both people and nature. Forest land- species are planted and where – and if they expect scape restoration provides a great opportunity But forest ecosystems face intense pressure to benefit. Local fruit trees, for example, come with for different decision makers to align – from from our rising population and hunger for land delicious incentives. Always remember that it is businesses, to government agencies , to local and resources. Vast areas of tropical forest are not about simply planting trees but growing them. groups. Together, they can develop a shared being cleared for commodities like and And it should be the right tree, at the right place vision for their landscape. beef. Remaining forests are degraded by log- and the right time. Planting species that are not ging, firewood cutting, pollution and invasive adapted to local conditions can lead to problems pests. Trees outside forests are fast making – for example if “thirsty” species suck out water Find out more: way for houses, infrastructure and more inten- from dry landscapes. These twenty innovations There is a crash course in tree planting on the UN Decade sive farming. website. Read up on farmer-managed natural regeneration of for a trillion trees may give you some ideas for trees in West . The FAO’s Forests and Landscapes getting tree-planting right. Restoring forest ecosystems involves returning Restoration Model provides an introduction to good practices trees to formerly forested land, including settle- for large-scale initiatives. The newly launched Restor platform Assist natural regeneration: This low-cost enables you to access ecological insights at the site level, to ments and agricultural areas, and improving the restoration strategy involves creating the condi- show current and potential tree cover, which species of flora condition of degraded forests. Here are some tions for indigenous trees to germinate or re- could exist, and how much potential carbon could be stored. A ways to stop the bleeding of our forests and hub maps out opportunities for tree-planting – and sprout naturally. This can mean excluding ani- regreen the land. their opportunities for capturing carbon – across the United mals that would eat young shoots and removing States. other vegetation, especially , that compete with the young trees for light and water. It can also mean reaching community-lev- el agreements to protect forests and trees, and managing them sustainably so that the new trees are not all cut again later. The concept of “rewilding” is becoming more and more popular in Europe and other places, where there is enough space and opportunity to introduce species that have once been lost. Learn more at the Rewilding Academy.

12 RIVERS AND LAKES Clean it up: Gather up all the trash and junk Find out more: dumped or washed up so that people appreciate Take inspiration from the ‘Adopt a River’ section of this Rotary Clubs guide. Consult this technical guide from the River the landscape and take better care of it. If it looks Freshwater ecosystems supply food, water and Restoration Centre in the United Kingdom or dive into the like a dump, people will treat it like one! energy to billions of people, protect us from science of river restoration in this academic paper. Take a tour of lake restoration efforts in India. and floods, and provide unique Regulate access: Create agreed and easy-to-use for many plants and animals, including one-third access points, for instance for animals to drink, of all vertebrate species. boats to land, or people to swim and relax. This will spare fragile vegetation, bird habitat and fish spawn- These ecosystems are particularly degraded. ing grounds and reduce at the water’s edge. They face pollution from chemicals, and sewage as well as and overextraction Restore vegetation: Plant indigenous species to of water. They attract real estate development restore rich along the banks of rivers and and recreation. Canalisation and mining for sand lakes, create wildlife corridors, and create a buffer and gravel degrade them further. Wetlands are zone between the water and sources of pollution, being drained for agriculture, with some 87 per such as nearby industries or farms; remove cent lost globally. One in three freshwater species invasive alien species. Did you know that 40% of are threatened with extinction. Just one-third of fish eat insects? In , a movement of the world’s largest rivers remain free-flowing. anglers and recreational fishers is replanting The rest are obstructed by dams and other infra- riverbanks, so that fish can return. structure, which makes it hard for fish and other wildlife to travel. Plan sustainably: Develop fishing and harvesting plans that don’t deplete the water, fish or other Protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems resources. Reduce and treat sewage, stop chemical can mean improving water quality, controlling how pollutants, industrial waste or other effluent enter- these ecosystems and the land next to them are ing the water. Strike agreements or pay incentives to used, and stopping or reversing human modifica- reduce the use of agricultural chemicals on adja- tions to natural processes. Here are some ele- cent land. The nitrogen used in fertilizers can pose ments that can play a part in a restoration plan. one of the biggest threats to aquatic ecosystems.

Protect and restore nature: On a landscape scale, seek wide agreement on the declaration of impor- tant freshwater ecosystems as protected areas. Remove dams or other infrastructure that are no longer needed and restore natural river flow. And campaign to keep residential development, dredging or mining out of sensitive areas.

13 TOWNS AND CITIES Green public spaces: Design and support initia- Find out more: tives to restore waterways and wetlands, plant Consult hubs for ideas and initiatives for urban restoration, including the Urban Nature Atlas, the CitiesWithNature initiative indigenous trees, and create urban and Urban areas occupy less than 1 per cent of the and the Nature of Cities platform. Take inspiration from other wildlife habitats along roads and railways Earth’s land surface but house more than half of Mexico’s plan for a massive new park in its capital, or the green and in public spaces. Get local businesses to help its people. Despite their steel and concrete, roofs of the Dutch Utrecht. Take pointers from New York with funding and expertise. Sometimes, the best City’s guide to caring for street trees. Finally, the SUGi Project crowds and traffic, cities and towns are still efforts come for free: Rewilding public spaces by follows the Miyawaki method and shows how everyday people ecosystems whose condition profoundly marks mowing grass and cutting down plants less can turn into makers – from the UK to India, from the quality of our lives. Functioning urban eco- Cameroon to Lebanon. attracts insects, birds, butterflies and even mam- systems help clean our air and water, cool urban mals to return to the city. heat islands, shield us from hazards and provide opportunities for rest and play. They can also Citizens for sustainability: Campaign for sustain- host a surprising amount of biodiversity. able urban planning, including the restoration of disused or contaminated sites, the inclusion of Urban ecosystems are often highly degraded. green spaces in new housing developments, and Poor planning seals soils and leaves little space strong public transport networks. Faced with for vegetation. Waste and emissions from indus- climate change, more citizens get involved in try, traffic and homes pollutes waterways, soils “adopt-a-tree” initiatives that help ensure trees – and the air. Unchecked gobbles up especially the young ones with shallow roots – more and more wildlife habitat. But authorities, are watered during dry spells. Digital tools, like communities and citizens can use restoration to apps, can support these efforts by tracking and achieve environmental, social and cultural gains coordinating individual contributions. at the same time. Here are some rewarding approaches. One micro-ecosystem at a time: Manage your own garden, yard, business premises or school, howev- er big or small they are, in ways that boost nature, or care for a roadside tree. Plant indigenous spe- cies, start dense urban micro-forests and make compost. Get others to do the same. Added togeth- er, a mass movement for micro-restoration can go a long way to enhancing the and liveability of a whole city.

14 OCEANS AND COASTS Clean up: Mobilize all ages to gather the masses Find out more: of household waste and abandoned fishing gear Help the CleanSeas campaign to turn the tide on . Consult the International Coral Reef Initiative’s guidelines for that wash up on our beaches and shores. Recy- Oceans and seas cover more than 70 per cent of restoring reefs and global restoration database. Check out this cle plastics and other materials to keep them the Earth. These ecosystems regulate our climate seagrass restoration project in the United Kingdom or this out of landfill. Stop using avoidable and unnec- practical guidance on restoring native oyster beds. Seek expert and generate most of the oxygen we breathe. essary plastic products. Watch out for microbe- advice for your ecosystem and location from the Society for They underpin key economic sectors, such as ads and microplastics hidden in products! The Ecological Restoration. tourism and fisheries. And they harbour biodiver- more people take part, the more awareness sity from, whales to plankton, in habitats from grows of the need to reduce waste and dispose sun-lit reefs to polar oceans. of it properly.

But oceans and coasts face huge threats. Millions Restore vegetation above and below the water: of tonnes of our plastic waste are harming crea- Protect and restore coastal ecosystems including tures, including seabirds, turtles and crabs. saltmarshes, , coral reefs, sea-grass Climate change is damaging coral reefs and we meadows and shellfish beds to boost their diver- are clearing mangroves for fish farms and other sity and the habitats and benefits they provide. activities. Overfishing threatens fish stocks, All ecosystems are complex, so get expert advice nutrient pollution is creating dead zones, and we for your location. Did you know, for example, that discharge nearly 80 per cent of our wastewater seagrass beds store 18 per cent of oceanic without treatment. carbon, and are 35 times faster than in doing so? They are also critical feeding We can restore oceans and coasts by reducing the grounds for seahorses and manatee, who might pressures on them so they can recover, both otherwise not survive. Get to know your local naturally and with our help. We need to make oceans and coasts, and help bring back what these ecosystems and communities more resil- makes them special. ient in the face of global change. Here are some ways we can help. Use the ocean wisely: Bring together communi- ties, authorities and other stakeholders to agree how to make coastal and ocean development and fishing sustainable, for instance by creating protected areas and deciding who can access which resources. If fishing communities come together and jointly decide on protected areas and fishing zones in their waters, people and nature benefit. Use citizen scientists to moni- tor the impact of degradation and the benefits of restoration.

15 FARMLANDS AND GRASSLANDS Invest in nature: Reduce tillage and use natural Find out more: pest control and organic fertilizer on arable land The Greener.LAND initiative has created a visual guide to to build the health of your soil and the yields of techniques for restoring land. The World Overview of Conserva- Farmlands and grasslands are perhaps our most tion Approaches and Technologies has hundreds of methods to your crops while reducing erosion and the need vital ecosystems. As well as supplying food, protect and restore farmlands, grasslands and other ecosystems for farm chemicals. fodder, and fibre, arable fields and grazing land in its Global Database on Sustainable . The PANORAMA platform brings together proven solutions for a host a bewildering variety of organisms from bats Trust in diversity: Grow more trees and a greater range of ecosystems – including ideas on how to increase and birds to beetles and worms as well as consid- variety of crops and integrate them with livestock biodiversity in agriculture. erable tree cover. Marked by centuries of human keeping to further boost soil health, diversify your effort and ingenuity, these ecosystems are income and provide better wildlife habitat. Plant- cultural treasures whose protection makes ing flowers along the borders of farmlands can spiritual as well as economic sense. provide valuable “feeding stations” for bees and other pollinators. Yet the way we are using many of these lands is exhausting their vitality. Intensive ploughing and Keep grasslands whole: In extensive grasslands , and the removal of and savannahs, protect areas along rivers where hedges and trees are degrading precious soil and nutrients are high from being converted to crop- vegetation. Excess agrochemicals are polluting land. Without them, less productive areas are waterways and harming wildlife, including bees harder to use sustainably. that pollinate crops. Graze sustainably: Agree on grazing regimes that We can restore rural ecosystems by using prevent overuse, soil erosion and invasions of nature to boost farm productivity and soil health grasslands by shrubs and alien species. Restore and improve how they manage the land. Here already degraded areas by clearing woody vege- are some of the options for farmers and live- tation and re-seeding native grasses. stock keepers. Bring back indigenous species: Reintroduce eradicated plants, trees and animals and pro- tect them from predation and hunting until they are established.

16 MOUNTAINS Restore forest shields: Restore and replant for- Find out more: ests and trees to protect soil, safeguard water Read this overview of how healthy ecosystems reduce disaster flows and guard against natural disasters, such risks in mountainous areas. Many of the restoration techniques Mountains harbour most of Earth’s biodiversity discussed elsewhere in this guide can also be applied in as avalanches, landslides and floods. hotspots and supply fresh water to an estimated mountain ecosystems. half of humanity. They include a multitude of Limit extraction and excavation: Our hunger for ecosystems providing a home to unique species, resources can have catastrophic consequences such as snow leopards and mountain gorillas, as for mountains and hillsides. Make sure that well as great cultural diversity among people landscapes are restored after mining operations adapted to the challenges of mountain life. have ended.

Mountain regions are particularly sensitive to Let ecosystems migrate: Create or connect degradation from human pressures and climate protected areas covering different altitudes so change. Steep slopes mean the clearing of forest that species and ecosystems can migrate accord- can cause serious soil erosion and habitat loss. ing to the shifting climate. Climate change and pollution threaten the sup- plies of water to farms, cities, industry and power Farm for resilience: Promote and adopt sustaina- stations. Rising temperatures are forcing species, ble farming techniques, such as , that ecosystems and the people that depend on them restore soils and biodiversity and can be more to adapt or migrate. resilient in the face of climate change and ex- treme weather. Restoring mountain ecosystems means consider- ing whole landscapes. Many of the restoration Learn from experience: Tap local and indige- actions listed in this guide can be used also in nous knowledge to keep the use of natural mountains. Here are some examples. resources sustainable.

17 PEATLANDS Protect peatlands: Include these sensitive eco- systems in protected areas to prevent their drain- age, conversion and overuse. Though they cover only 3 per cent of the world’s land, peatlands store nearly 30 per cent of its soil Dam the drains: Keep peatlands healthy by clos- carbon. They control water supplies and prevent ing drainage channels and slowing water flows, floods and droughts and provide many people for example by putting rocks in ditches and with food and fuel. They also house plants and streams and growing trees along their banks. animals unique to these watery environments. Accelerate recovery: Plant and seed peatland Despite their importance, peatlands around the plant species, such as native grasses and moss- world are being drained and converted for agri- es, to boost their natural regeneration. culture, infrastructure development, mining and oil and gas exploration. Peatlands are also being Limit pressures: Outside protected areas, work degraded by fire, overgrazing, nitrogen pollution with stakeholders to establish sustainable use of and the extraction of peat for fuel and as a grow- peatlands, for instance as extensive grazing ing medium. lands. Promote alternative energy sources to reduce demand for peat as a fuel. To prevent dangerous climate change, we need to hold peatland carbon where it is – wet, and in the ground. At the same time, we must re-wet and Find out more: restore drained and degraded peatlands. Here are The International Mire Conservation Group has produced a some ways to do that. peatland restoration guide and a collection of case studies that can give you some ideas on actions to take in peatlands.

18 CHOICES FOR RESTORATION

As well as fixing ecosystems on the ground, let’s GO GREEN EAT RIGHT give them a break. It is our massive collective Whether you are an individual or an organization, For most people on this planet, this means: Eat less environmental footprint that is degrading nature. choose goods and services with a credible meat and dairy produce and reduce how much food We can tread more lightly by changing what we eco-label. That rewards companies that, for you waste. Favor locally grown produce that needs do, what we consume, and the waste we leave instance, make recyclable products, reduce less packaging and transport. Eat seasonally and behind. Here’s how you can cut your personal packaging and meet environmental and social regionally: find out which fruits and plants grow impact and let ecosystems rebound. standards. Buy from local suppliers to cut the near you during which time of year. Many organiza- environmental impacts of transport and support tions have started creative calendars that help farming products adapted to your local ecosys- people decide what to eat when. Can’t find one? tems. Be creative in inspiring others to help local Design your own! Plant-based diets are less plants thrive! Seedballs, like these from Kenya, land-hungry and can be better for your health. are a great way to help people green up. But be Choose organic produce to combat the pesticides sure to choose the right seedlings for the right and fertilizers degrading our agricultural and time and place. freshwater ecosystems. Punch your data into WWF’s planet-based diet calculator to see how LIVE LIGHT your eating habits impact Earth’s ecosystems. Do you really need new clothes and gadgets? Do your family and friends want more gifts? Can’t FUND RESTORATION vacations or business gatherings take place closer Donate to organizations and community groups to home? COVID-19 lockdowns have shown many involved in ecosystem restoration and sign up for people that they can live well with less consump- updates on their projects. Check their credibility tion and travel. You can also cut your resource use and track record before parting with any cash. Read by buying used goods, and by repairing, sharing up on how they ensure that trees or other plants and borrowing more. Follow the “reuse, recycle, survive, how they involve local communities, if they refuse” principle when making decisions. perhaps create jobs and other benefits along the way, and how their efforts will last into the future. If you have money to invest, channel it to certified green investment funds or green banks that invest in sustainability. The Terramatch platform, for example, is designed to connect investors with restoration projects in need of funding. Kadir van Lohuizen / NOOR ©

19 RAISE YOUR VOICE FOR #GENERATIONRESTORATION

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration will TURN RESTORATION VIRAL RAISE YOUR VOICE succeed if people pull together as communities, Whether you are a government, a group, a busi- Take part in public forums and consultations, radio nations and as a global movement. As well as ness or an individual, announce your restoration phone-ins and debates on managing and improv- getting involved in on-the-ground restoration and commitment or initiative on social media with ing the local environment. Speak up in public and taking responsibility for your personal impact on the #GenerationRestoration hashtag. Take part in private for the sustainable use of resources for the environment, you can spread the word about in online discussions about restoration and post the benefit of all, including future generations. how healthy ecosystems are the foundation for pictures and updates on your achievements. human well-being, and that there is a lot that we USE YOUR VOTE can all do to protect them. GET CREATIVE Support political parties and leaders with strong Hold a concert, paint a mural, organize an exhibi- commitments to restoration, sustainable develop- This is vital because rebuilding ecosystems tion or take people on an excursion to a threat- ment and , especially if they have kept requires action from everyone, everywhere. It is ened ecosystem to mark World Environment Day past promises to prevent environmental degrada- also crucial to generate political momentum for and celebrate #GenerationRestoration. If restric- tion. Hold your leaders accountable – has your restoration, because many of the underlying tions needed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic country or regional government made any pledges causes of degradation must be addressed at the make public events and gatherings unwise, maybe to restoration? And if so, have they lived up to national or international level. For example, only you can move your events and artwork online. them? Were the restoration activities of a quality governments can change damaging economic that benefitted people and ecosystems? Or could policies, establish networks of protected areas your leaders do more and better in the future? and rein in pollution and climate change. MAKE A SPLASH Organize a campaign or a flash mob to press for restoration of an ecosystem that you care about. Political leaders and other decision makers who JOIN UP That could be the local wetland at your doorstep Become a member of an organization or political grasp this challenge can act boldly if they know or rainforests far away. Use the UN Decade visual movement with influence on how our ecosystems that millions of people stand beside them. So identity and social media assets to give your are managed. Work to advance both ambition and become an advocate for ecosystems and grow message global weight and meaning. action to prevent environmental degradation and #GenerationRestoration into a movement that its social consequences. The UN Decade’s transforms our planet’s future. Here are some website will be home to a digital hub, connecting ways to amplify the message on World Environ- GREEN YOUR CIRCLES restoration initiatives across the globe. ment Day and every day for the next decade. Ask friends, relatives and colleagues what they value about local ecosystems and discuss what Whatever you do to spread the word and advance could be done to improve things. Encourage them ecosystem restoration, you can use the UN Decade’s to learn about ecosystems and their benefits and visual identity on your website, social media or to join #GenerationRestoration. printed on a T-shirt or a sign at your restoration site. Read more about it in our brand guide.

20 YOUR FEEDBACK MATTERS

Protecting what we have and healing what we damaged is a task too daunting for any one entity to lead. It takes a movement. It takes you.

Our journey has only started. Over the next ten years, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration will bring together governments, businesses, science and academia, and every concerned citizen to restore our planet.

We hope that this Playbook can help you take your first steps on this journey.

Did you find it useful? Would you share it with others? What can we improve? Please contact us at [email protected]

THANK YOU FROM EVERYONE AT THE WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY AND UN DECADE TEAMS