Launched in 2014, Pakistan’s “Billion Tree Tsunami” saw the government of the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa successfully plant a billion trees by 2017, months ahead of schedule, according to the World Economic Forum. Since the initiative launched in 2007, Ethiopia and Nigeria have each restored millions of hectares of land, and Senegal has planted more than 10 million trees. It will, in turn, provide fertile land, food security, and strengthen the region’s resilience to climate change. The initiative aims to restore 100 million hectares of currently degraded land, sequester 250 million tons of carbon, and create 10 million green jobs, according to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. The Great Green Wall is an African-led project that aims to create the largest living structure on the planet, a new natural wonder that will span the width of the Sahel region, which has become increasingly dry and barren. Here are eight examples of ecological projects that are beginning to heal the planet. Recovered and intact ecosystems alike must also be conserved and managed properly for the planet’s biodiversity to recover. Ultimately, facilitating the recovery of a natural ecosystem is just one step in an ongoing process. Half the forests that have regrown in Costa Rica have vanished within two decades, and in Brazil and Peru, regenerated forests are often re-cleared after just a few years, according to the Conversation. The Bonn Challenge has called on countries throughout the world to restore 350 million hectares of forests by 2030, and environmental groups - including the World Resources Institute, the Natural Resources Defense Fund, and 350.org - are calling on countries to change their approaches to the environment, prioritizing the sustainable management of ecosystems.īut a recovered ecosystem is not guaranteed to stay that way.

Some organizations have stepped up to address this destruction and reverse the loss of natural habitats. Around three-quarters of land-based environments and two-thirds of marine environments have been 'significantly altered' and degraded by human activity, the report found. To make matters worse, the world consumes more than 100 billion metric tons of materials through resource extraction every year, a rate that vastly exceeds the planet’s ability to regenerate. You can join us in taking action on this and related issues here.Ībout 1 million animal and plant species worldwide are at risk of extinction, many within the next few decades, according to a report the UN released last May. The United Nations considers life on land and life below water to be two of its Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Thriving ecosystems can better support marine and animal life, provide local jobs and food, and reduce carbon emissions.

Oblivion content restoration project