The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (UN–DER) (2021–2030), co-led by UNEP and FAO, represents the most ambitious global effort to halt and reverse ecosystem degradation. Within this framework, the IUCN-led Science Task Force (STF) plays a vital role in providing the scientific foundation to guide, monitor, and accelerate restoration.
This session will explore how nations and societies can advance Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) Target 2–to restore at least 30% of degraded terrestrial, inland water, coastal, and marine ecosystems by 2030–while fostering broader systemic transformation. Key barriers include challenges in measuring restoration progress, uncertainties in defining degradation, weak integration of socio-economic realities, limited use of spatial prioritization, and difficulties in distinguishing interventions from demonstrable ecological and social gains.
Drawing on STF expertise, the session will emphasize actionable solutions such as robust ecological and socio-economic indicators, decision-support tools, and scalable approaches for monitoring and upscaling. Special attention will be given to the contributions of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), whose knowledge systems and stewardship practices are critical for inclusive and resilient restoration strategies.
We invite contributions from researchers, practitioners, policymakers, civil society, governments, private sector actors, and IPLCs, highlighting case studies and innovations from diverse contexts. Outcomes will inform STF and Best Practices Task Force processes, supporting evidence-based decision-making and catalyzing transformative restoration under the UN-DER and KMGBF Target 2.