Mapping global opportunities for ecosystem restoration

Restoring degraded ecosystems is essential for recovering biodiversity as well as increasing the benefits nature provides to people. There is increasing evidence that investing in ecosystem restoration provides multiple net benefits. While restoration efforts have been traditionally funded by public institutions, the need for private sector’s investment and engagement in restoration is becoming increasingly important. There is also increasing interest from the private sector in investing in restoration efforts. However, it is challenging to know where restoration investments and efforts will make the biggest impact for both nature and people. This study aims to address this gap by identifying priority areas for ecosystem restoration by integrating biodiversity and socio-ecological criteria. It highlights where restoration investments can deliver the greatest ecological returns. We developed a global restoration opportunities layer intended to help screen locations where ecosystem restoration can deliver multiple benefits. Our analysis focused on global terrestrial and coastal areas that are not currently built up or under active cultivation. Spatial planning is a powerful tool that can help with decision making on where to restore by prioritizing the most efficient areas. We conducted spatial prioritization analyses to find areas that maximize the potential co-benefit of restoration for both nature and people. The analysis incorporated multiple datasets, including rarity-weighted species richness, useful plant species, key ecosystem types and globally recognized conservation sites. We also included areas that provide important Nature’s Contributions to People, such as carbon sequestration, water quality regulation, and coastal protection. Our resulting global map highlights locations with restoration opportunities ranging from highest to lowest priority. Based on these findings, we suggest how to evaluate where restoration investments and interventions can have the most impact. These findings can guide global investment in restoration initiatives and help contribute towards countries achieving their restoration targets such as Target 2 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.