About this data collection
Human activities on Earth have led to degradation of natural ecosystems: it is estimated that only 10 percent of the planet’s surface will remain free of direct anthropogenic impact by 2050. Land degradation results in loss of biodiversity and ecosystem functions, making communities more vulnerable to climate change impacts and socioeconomic pressures. At least 3.2 billion people are negatively impacted by the effects of degradation. The United Nations has recognised the urgent need to reverse pervasive degradation processes by declaring the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Restoration activities could generate $9 trillion in ecosystem services and remove between 13 and 26 gigatons of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere by 2030. Restoration of ecosystems from a degraded state can result in cumulative biodiversity, climate, and livelihood benefits, making people and nature more resilient.
The causes of degradation and the objectives of ecosystem restoration are varied, so restoration can also take many forms, from rewetting drained peat bogs, to planting mangrove forests in river deltas in tropical countries. Restoration can be categorised into three distinct types. One aims to restore degraded natural ecosystems to a more intact state, for example by assisting natural regeneration. The second focuses on restoring ecosystem functions in converted ecosystems, for example by changing agricultural practices to restore soil health and fertility. The third involves returning a converted ecosystem to a more natural state, while ensuring that this change does not compromise the livelihoods of people depending on the ecosystem.
How to use this data collection
The restoration collection on UN Biodiversity Lab explores opportunities to restore ecosystems for the benefit of nature and people. To explore the data layers, click on the question of interest and browse the available data layers that highlight different types of restoration and ecosystems.
Explore the collection in three easy steps:
- Browse the key policy questions provided below.
- Select a question of interest to view a description of the map available, input data layers, and policy relevance.
- Click view data to view a map that provides input to address the question.
Note: These policy-relevant questions and associated data layers are provided for users to develop their own prioritization when pursuing nature-based solutions for climate change. While global layers from the UNBL public platform are used here, users may also want to consider using national data to create similar overlays via our UNBL workspaces.
ⓘ Data layers to address policy-relevant questions
The World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM) was established in 2019, following the adoption of the OECM definition (https://www.cbd.int/decisions/cop/14/8) in 2018. Given that the database and definition were only recently developed, many governments have not yet reported data on OECMs, or have reported only a subset of their OECMs. Users should consider this when using the WD-OECM, and should not assume that countries without OECM data lack OECMs in reality, or that countries with OECM data have reported their full complement of OECMs. Users wishing to provide data on OECMs should contact UNEP-WCMC at OECM@unep-wcmc.org.
Type 1 restoration: restoring degraded natural ecosystems
| Ecosystems | Description | Geographical scope | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical forest | This overlay approach is described in Hansen et al. 2020: Restoration is high priority in areas with medium structural condition index (SCI) and low human footprint index (HFP) such as secondary forests following agricultural abandonment. | Tropics |
|
| Ecosystems | Description | Geographical scope | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest | The Forest Landscape Integrity (FLI) Index integrates data on observed and inferred forest pressures and lost forest connectivity to generate an index of forest integrity as determined by degree of anthropogenic modification. | Global |
|
| Ecosystems | Description | Geographical scope | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical and sub-tropical Forest | This dataset presents priority areas for tropical forest restoration that benefit reduction of species extinction risk and carbon sequestration. | Specific countries, mostly tropical |
|
| Ecosystems | Description | Geographical scope | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forests, coral reefs, mangroves, seagrasses, grasslands, shrublands | This global screening layer of Restoration Resilience offers a high-level overview of the climate resilience of restorable ecosystems using a year 2050 projection. | Global |
|
| Ecosystems | Description | Geographical scope | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humid tropical forest |
The forest connectivity data layer identifies key areas between large intact forest landscapes that have little human disturbance. Overlay with the Human Modification Index (HMI) to identify level of human modification between the intact landscapes.
|
Tropics |
|
| Ecosystems | Description | Geographical scope | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | Modelled potential corridors for wildlife to assist species dispersal and climate adaptation. Can be overlayed with the potential natural vegetation layer to identify which ecosystems would benefit, and the Human Modification Index to clarify which areas are degraded. | Global |
|
Type 2 restoration: restoring function in degraded converted ecosystems
Type 3 restoration: restoring converted ecosystems towards a natural state
| Ecosystems | Description | Geographical scope | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forests, grasslands, shrublands, arid lands, wetlands. | Land considered in NatureMap: Areas of Global Significance for Restoration has been converted from natural ecosystems to croplands and pasturelands. Benefits are measured by reduction of extinction risk and potential long-term carbon sequestration following restoration. Can be overlaid with the potential natural vegetation dataset to determine which ecosystems would benefit from restoration. | Global |
|
| Ecosystems | Description | Geographical scope | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical and sub-tropical Forest | This map presents priority areas for tropical forest restoration that benefit reduction of species extinction risk and carbon sequestration. | Specific countries, mostly tropical |
|
| Ecosystems | Description | Geographical scope | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forests, coral reefs, mangroves, seagrasses, grasslands, shrublands, savannas | This global screening layer of Restoration Resilience offers a high-level overview of the climate resilience of restorable ecosystems (forests, coral reefs, mangroves, seagrasses, grasslands, shrublands, savannas) using a year 2050 projection. | Global |
|
| Ecosystems | Description | Geographical scope | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humid tropical forest | The forest connectivity data layer identifies key areas between large intact forest landscapes that have little human disturbance. Overlay with the Human Modification Index (HMI) to identify level of human modification between the intact landscapes. | Tropics |
|
| Ecosystems | Description | Geographical scope | Included layers |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | Modelled potential corridors for wildlife to assist species dispersal and climate adaptation. Can be overlayed with the potential natural vegetation layer to identify which ecosystems would benefit, and the Human Modification Index to clarify which areas are degraded. | Global |
|
