April 18, 2025 | 06:48 GMT +7

  • Click to copy
Friday- 08:46, 16/12/2022

At COP15 summit, UN announces nature restoration priorities through 2030

(VAN) The United Nations on Tuesday (Dec 13) announced its top priorities for restoring ecosystems from South America's Atlantic Forest to the Ganges River in India.

With countries negotiating a global conservation pact at the UN nature summit in Montreal, the UN sought to boost momentum by naming 10 flagship restoration initiatives to receive funding and scientific expertise.

Without specifying how much money might be allocated, the UN said it hoped to add to the funds with private donations.

Inger Andersen, head of the UN Environment Programme, told Reuters she hoped the initiative would demonstrate that restoration is possible. The agency estimates about 40 per cent of the world's land is degraded.

"You can, with a little concerted effort and some wonderful leadership at all levels of society, actually turn this around," Andersen told Reuters.

While the COP15 negotiations aim for new conservation rules to prevent further nature loss, one of the two dozen proposed targets would see countries agreeing to restore 20 per cent to 30 per cent of degraded landscapes, including mountains, wetlands, deserts, and coastlines.

Altogether, the projects cover a total of some 68 million hectares (168 million acres) - an area bigger than France.

The UN selected its 10 projects for restoration through 2030 out of more than 150 applications. "We were looking for inspiration, we were looking for diversity, and we were looking for something that gives people hope," said the UNEP's Mirey Atallah, who helped coordinate the initiative.

There are efforts to regreen logged-out areas of the Atlantic Forest and clean the polluted Ganges; restore seagrass beds to protect endangered dugongs in the Persian Gulf around the United Arab Emirates; plant trees and savannahs for Africa's Great Green Wall; and supporting traditional farming throughout drought-prone Central America.

The other five involve restoring diverse ecosystems in China, shoring up low-lying coastlines against storm surges and erosion on Indonesia's main island of Java, building resilience in mountain communities of Europe and Africa, protecting three island nations' corals, forests and communities, and restoring grasslands to the Kazakh steppe.

A report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature found on Monday that restoration work is currently unfolding on 14 million hectares (35 million acres) across 18 countries, carried out with US$26 billion in funding.

The UN plans to monitor progress on the 10 projects through tools like satellite imagery, Atallah said.

Tr.D

(Reuters)

California agriculture reels from Trump's new tariff policy

California agriculture reels from Trump's new tariff policy

(VAN) California's $59 billion agriculture industry faces serious disruption as the U.S. clashes with China - one of the state's major export markets.

Two years since the start of the conflict, Sudan is facing a severe food security catastrophe

Two years since the start of the conflict, Sudan is facing a severe food security catastrophe

(VAN) Five things you should know about Sudan's food security crisis.

U.S. spacecraft brings Vietnamese lotus seeds into space

U.S. spacecraft brings Vietnamese lotus seeds into space

(VAN) 169 lotus seeds selected by the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences were carried into space by Vietnamese-American astronaut Amanda Nguyen.

China put steep tariffs on U.S. exports. Farmers are worried

China put steep tariffs on U.S. exports. Farmers are worried

(VAN) Tariffs are making life more expensive for John Pihl. He's been farming in Northern Illinois for more than 50 years.

New US tariffs spark alarm among EU and US farming groups

New US tariffs spark alarm among EU and US farming groups

(VAN) European and American farmer organisations are concerned about the import tariffs that the United States introduced on 9 April for products from the European Union. This makes them 20% more expensive.

Strong poultry markets with geopolitical risks

Strong poultry markets with geopolitical risks

(VAN) Global poultry trade is expected to remain strong amid relatively tight global protein supply and growing consumption, RaboResearch concludes in its latest animal protein report.

Big, biodiverse and beautiful: can Romania’s centuries-old giant haystacks survive modern farming?

Big, biodiverse and beautiful: can Romania’s centuries-old giant haystacks survive modern farming?

(VAN) Traditional methods benefit hundreds of species but as new agricultural techniques take over, the distinctive haystacks mark a vanishing way of life.

Read more