UN Awards World Restoration Flagships for Ecosystem Restoration

On August 31, 2026, at the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), the United Nations named 3 new World Restoration Flagships. Located in Brazil, the Sahel region, and Saudi Arabia, these initiatives were selected for their work in reviving ecosystems and improving land productivity in areas struggling with drought and climate change. The awards are part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030), a global effort to recover 1 billion hectares by 2030.

Together, the 3 newly recognized initiatives have pledged to restore nearly 5 million hectares of land, an area comparable to almost 7 million football fields. FAO Director-General QU Dongyu emphasized the importance of rehabilitating the world's degraded land to meet international commitments for food security, biodiversity, and climate action. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, noted that restoring ecosystems not only benefits the environment but also contributes to food security, job creation, and resilience for millions of people.

In Brazil, the Araticum Initiative focuses on the Cerrado, the most biodiverse tropical savannah on earth. The project coordinates more than 180 organizations, including Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and government bodies, across 9 states. By June 2026, over 27,000 hectares had been restored, with a goal of reaching 2 million hectares by 2030 through a combination of natural regeneration and agroforestry.

Saudi Arabia’s National Greening Program is working to restore 2.5 million hectares and plant 215 million trees by 2030. As of June 2026, the program had successfully recovered 1 million hectares and planted 159 million trees. These efforts support the Kingdom’s broader goal of restoring 40 million hectares and planting 10 billion trees by 2100, while also creating jobs and improving air quality in urban areas.

The Sahel Integrated Resilience Initiative, led by the World Food Programme, focuses on land restoration and food security across Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger. By June 2026, the project had rehabilitated more than 335,000 hectares, with a target of 470,000 hectares by 2030. It pairs land rehabilitation with school feeding and livelihood support, benefiting more than 4 million people in the region.

These restoration efforts are designed to build resilience against climate change and support sustainable development. By linking environmental recovery with social support, the initiatives address the long-term health of both the landscape and the communities that depend on it.