ECOSYSTEMRESTORATIONPLAYBOOKA PRACTICAL GUIDETO HEALING THE PLANET
Developed for World Environment Day 2021
To kick off the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030)

decadeonrestoration.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction.................................................................................................. 3
Why ecosystems are so important................................................................. 5
How to join #GenerationRestoration.............................................................. 6
Get informed!................................................................................................ 7
Use your strength......................................................................................... 8
Restoration action – Principles and guidelines............................................ 10
Ecosystem by ecosystem – what restoration can look like........................... 11
Forests and trees...........................................................................................12
Rivers and lakes.............................................................................................13
Towns and cities............................................................................................14
Oceans and coasts........................................................................................15
Farmlands and grasslands............................................................................16
Mountains......................................................................................................17
Peatlands.......................................................................................................18
Choices for restoration................................................................................ 19
Raise your voice for #GenerationRestoration............................................... 20

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INTRODUCTION

That is why the United Nations has declared the
Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Starting on
World Environment Day 2021, individuals, groups,
governments, businesses and organizations of all
kinds can join forces in a global movement toprevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradationand secure a sustainable future for all.
Ten years might seem a long time. But really, we
are in a sprint. By 2030, we must nearly halvegreenhouse gas emissions to prevent devastatingclimate change. Huge progress is needed to meet
the Sustainable Development Goals, from eliminating poverty and fighting disease to safeguarding biodiversity. We need to bend the curve on
biodiversity loss – a frightening trend that may
lead to the extinction of 1 million species.
Healthy ecosystems are vital to meeting thosegoals. Restoring them is a massive challenge. But
more and more people realize that we mustchange our ways and move urgently to protect
and rebuild nature for the sake of future generations and out of love for the world we live in.

If you are ready to join #GenerationRestoration,
this guide will show you how. It will help you to
identify opportunities for on-the-ground restoration in your area and find partners and support. It
will also show you how to relieve the pressure on
ecosystems by changing what you do and what
you buy, and by encouraging everyone to get
serious about sustainability.
Find more about the UN Decade on
decadeonrestoration.com and on social media
under #GenerationRestoration. This movement
has begun!

© Cris van Wolffelaar | Just Diggit

Earth needs help. The climate emergency, the lossof nature and deadly pollution threaten to destroy
our home and eliminate many of the millions ofspecies that share this beautiful planet with us.
But this degradation is not inevitable. We have thepower and the knowledge to reverse the harm andrestore the Earth – if we act now.

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JOIN #GENERATIONRESTORATION ON WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY!
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration islaunching on World Environment Day 2021. Heldevery year on June 5, World Environment Day is
the most important date on the calendar forcelebrating our environment and ramping up
global efforts to protect the planet.
This year, World Environment Day is dedicated tothe protection and revival of precious ecosystems
all over the world. This is the perfect moment tojoin #GenerationRestoration and power change
for the better!

WHAT YOU CAN DO ON WORLDENVIRONMENT DAY
This guide is designed to help you get involved inecosystem restoration. It outlines three pathways
to join the movement and improve the well-beingof people and nature: taking action; making smart
choices; and raising your voice for restoration.
Why not set off along one – or all – of these pathways on World Environment Day? Read through theguide for inspiration about how to get involved in
the UN Decade. There are ideas for everyone, fromindividuals, communities and organizations tobusinesses and government agencies.
World Environment Day could mark the start ofyour ambitious multi-year restoration project, theday you kick unsustainable products out of yourlife, or the moment you and others begin speaking
up for the environment.
For example, you can take action by:• Announcing an ambitious restoration project orpolicy initiative, whether at local, regional or
national level – tell the world what role you willplay in a ten-year push
• Volunteering for an existing restoration effort• Cleaning up a lake, beach, park or other natural area
• Greening your home, business, school, or apublic space with indigenous trees or plants
You can make smart choices by:• Pledging a donation or other support for restoration or conservation initiatives• Halting purchases of products and services thatare not certified as sustainable• Starting a new diet or catering policy based on
seasonal, sustainable and plant-rich products
You can raise your voice by:• Putting on or participating in an exhibition ofposters, photos or art showing the beauty of
local ecosystems• Holding a discussion about the value of ecosystems and the threats they face
• Staging an online campaign to draw attention toclimate change, nature loss and what can bedone to reverse these trends• Writing a letter to your local newspaper

Whatever you do, celebrate the moment andspread the word! Take pictures of your World
Environment Day activities and post them onsocial media with the tag #GenerationRestoration
and #WorldEnvironmentDay to maximize yourcontribution to the restoration movement. You
can use resources from the UN Decade’s visual
identity on your website, social media or printed
on a T-shirt or a sign. Read more about it in ourbrand guide.
While we want everyone to be able to celebrate
World Environment Day and the UN Decade,respect any COVID-19 restrictions in place where
you live, and move discussions and events
online to keep everyone safe. Here are someconsiderations to keep in mind while you plan
your celebrations:• Visit the official World Environment Day website
to stay up-to-date on the latest developments:
worldenvironmentday.global• Use the hashtag #GenerationRestoration to befeatured on our Social Media Wall: decadeonrestoration.org/follow-generationrestoration• Starting mid-April you can register your own
World Environment Day event on the official site
and read up on what others are planning• Starting May, you will have access to social
media assets, digital interactive tools and much
more to help you spread the word around yourplans in the leadup to June 5 and beyond
4WHY ECOSYSTEMS ARESO IMPORTANT
Ecosystems are the web of life on Earth. An ecosystem comprises all the living organisms and theinteractions among them and with their surroundings in a given place. They exist at all scales, froma grain of soil to the entire planet, and include
forests, rivers, wetlands, grasslands, estuaries
and coral reefs. Cities and farmlands contain
important human-modified ecosystems.

All over the world, ecosystems face massive
threats. Forests are being cleared; rivers andlakes polluted; wetlands and peatlands drained;
coasts and oceans degraded and overfished;
mountain soils eroded; and farmlands and grasslands overexploited.
Unless we change our ways and protect andrestore our ecosystems, we will not only destroy
the landscapes we love, we will undermine thefoundations of our own well-being and bequeatha degraded, inhospitable planet to future
generations.

© Bailey Zindell | Unsplash

Ecosystems provide us with priceless benefits.
They include a stable climate and breathable air;
supplies of water, food and materials of all kinds;and protection from disaster and disease. Natural
ecosystems are important for our physical andmental health, and for our identity. They are home
to precious wildlife. For many, they are a source ofwonder and spirituality.

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HOW TO JOIN #GENERATIONRESTORATION
Restoring ecosystems means protecting theirbiodiversity and helping them to deliver benefits
for people and nature. It means using ecosystems
on land and in the oceans in ways that strengthen
their natural resources and processes. Actions forrestoration can also mean preventing degradation
or reducing its extent.
Here are three great ways to get involved:

ACTIONSCHOICESVOICES

Start your own on-the-groundinitiative, join an existing
restoration or conservation
effort, or help build an allianceto give a bigger boost tonature’s comeback.

Change your behaviour andspending to shrink your local
and global environmental footprint and divert resources toward companies and activities
that bring back nature instead of
harming it. Encourage othersaround you to do the same.

Make your voice and ideas
count in debates about how
to manage your local
environment, and about how we
can make our societies andeconomies fairer and moresustainable. Press decision
makers to do the right thing.

But before you embark on any of the three pathways:
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GET INFORMED!
Acquire a good understanding of the ecosystems
that matter to you, what is really causing theirdecline, and how you can realistically help themto recover. In particular:

What kind of ecosystems are they? You can findthe main types on the UN Decade website. Whichones do people consider most valuable? Whatcondition are they in, and how has that changed?
Remember that relatives and neighbours withlong memories may have as many insights asbooks or reports.

2. KNOW THE DRIVERS OF DEGRADATION

There might be direct causes, such as land
conversion for agriculture or industry, or pollution. But underlying factors might be more
important. These indirect drivers can include
market forces, such as the demand for wildlife
products, social factors, such as poverty, governance issues, such as lack of agreement on who
can use which resources, and poorly enforced
rules. Addressing them might require changes ingovernment policy or business practices.

© Chad Scott | Conservation Diver

1. KNOW YOUR LOCAL ECOSYSTEMS

3. KNOW THE ANSWER

Once you have identified a degraded ecosystem
and understood why it is under threat, think about
how you can turn things around. What needs tochange? How can you make that happen? What
resources do you have? Who can help? Be ambitious but also realistic and remember that restoring an ecosystem can take a long time. Even small
actions add up and every contribution matters!
Another way to learn about restoration before
embarking on your own project is to volunteer
with a local environmental organization or
through a global portal.
• Ecosystem Restoration Camps offer theopportunity for local and global supporters tocome together and jointly restore an ecosystem– one camp at a time. Camps follow local
COVID-19 regulations in their operations.
• Are there restoration efforts near you that you
could join?

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USE YOUR STRENGTHS
Individuals, groups and organizations can join
#GenerationRestoration through any or all of thethree pathways. But all initiatives need to be
grounded in local realities, and some strategies
may fit better than others. Here are some of theways to consider your next steps.

INDIVIDUALSYour habits and consumer choices are in yourhands, so do the right thing, and persuade yourfriends and colleagues to join in. Take part andspeak up in private and public discussions about
how to improve the local environment. Join,
donate to or volunteer for an organization that is
protecting and restoring nature. Learn about local
ecosystems and what is ailing them. Restore yourown balcony, roadside, yard or garden with planting and composting – it’s an ecosystem, too!

FAITH LEADERS AND FAITH GROUPS

Many faiths have clear teachings about caring forthe natural world. Promote them through sermonsand discussions. Launch restoration projects thatdraw on the dedication and skills of different
group members. Green any properties and land
controlled by the community, including places ofworship and remembrance. Be inspired by what
other faith groups are already doing.

BUSINESSES

Apply your business skills and financial resources
to a restoration project that benefits your local
area or the places you impact through your work.
Work with your staff to choose or design the
project. Link with other liked-minded enterprises
to ramp up the scale. Green your procurement,
production and distribution policies to reduce thefootprint of your products and operations. Restore
the ecosystem functions of your own premises.

WORKERS AND TRADE UNIONS

Launch and implement local and national initiatives to restore ecosystems that are important toworkers and union members and ask employers
for support. Campaign for the protection ofworkers whose livelihoods and health may bethreatened by ecosystem degradation.

TEACHERS

Teach students about ecosystems, sustainability
and the risks of environmental decline so they
become the ecosystem stewards of the future.
Put the concepts into action with restoration
projects in the school compound and the local
community, for instance to nurture trees, usecompost, adopt a local ecosystem and prevent
pollution. Use school trips to demonstrate thevalue of healthy ecosystems. One Tree Planted’s
curriculum provides ideas for teaching about
restoration, from primary school to university.

YOUTH GROUPS

Stand up for your future by raising your voices sothat policy makers hear the call to protect andrestore ecosystems. Organize those discussions
yourselves and invite environmental experts to
speak and the wider public to listen so thatawareness of the benefits of restoration can
blossom. Match all the words with deeds byvolunteering collectively to get your hands dirty inrestoration projects, or devise and launch one ofyour own.
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CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS

Poll your members on the priorities for ecosystem
protection and restoration in your area. Find out
what skills you have in-house. Decide where you canhave the greatest impact. Would starting or supporting a project be best? Are you better off presenting
thought-through policy options to political leaders
for action? Or would organizing an education campaign be the way to go? Join an alliance or build on.
Make the link between your work and the health of
our ecosystems – directly or indirectly. Trust yourexpertise and make the connections.

CITIES AND LOCAL AUTHORITIESAs well as undertaking your own restoration actions,
you can enable and support private-sector and civilsociety restoration initiatives, especially those on
public land. You can be a strong local voice forrestoration and create platforms for others to amplify
the message. Public contracting is another powerfultool to promote sustainability. Research has shownthat small shifts – like mowing urban lawns lessintensely – increases biodiversity and saves money.

FARMERS AND LIVESTOCK KEEPERS

As custodians of the land, you have a special responsibility and opportunity to nurture and restore ourecosystems. As well as trying some of the restoration approaches for farmlands and grasslands
outlined below, you can cooperate with other actors
to restore whole landscapes that include manydifferent ecosystems, both natural and modified.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

If you live on your ancestral lands, you have aunique responsibility – and often a long trackrecord – in managing your land sustainably.
Consider what lessons from indigenous knowledge could be applied more widely to protect andrestore ecosystems, and use platforms associatedwith the UN Decade to spread the word and build
alliances for sound environmental stewardship.

WOMEN

The overexploitation and degradation of ecosystems is often linked to inequality, including unfairly restricted access to and control of natural
resources by women. Integrate your restoration
projects with steps to eliminate the exclusion ofand discrimination against women and otherdisadvantaged groups so that sustainable development benefits everyone equally. #GenerationRestoration and #GenerationEquality go hand in
hand: The Girl Scouts have launched a toolkit forgetting young girls involved in tree planting.

current destructive trends. Design subsidies,fiscal policy and COVID-19 recovery packages toboost ecosystem restoration. Use procurement toaccelerate the shift to sustainability.

SCIENTISTS

Deepen our understanding of the importance of
ecosystems, the threats they face and develop
solutions with insights from the social and naturalsciences. Lend your expertise to restoration
initiatives and monitor their impacts to further
refine our responses. Make use of innovations intechnology – from remote sensing to artificial
intelligence – to help us better monitor the effects
of restoration across ecosystems.

GOVERNMENTS

Create the conditions for a successful UN Decadeby designing and implementing economic policies
and governance structures that improve environmental management and fund on-the-ground restoration. Join the vanguard of global efforts tocombat climate change, biodiversity loss and landdegradation. Take bold steps and pledge ambitious action to not only stop but reverse the9

RESTORATION ACTION – PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES
So, you want to get your hands dirty? First, sharpen
your pencil because effective restoration requires
careful planning. But have no fear: restoration
experts around the world have drawn up principles, standards and toolkits that can help. Here arethree principles that can be applied to all projects.

Inform and consult everyone who will be affectedby the project. Appreciate and learn from different
perspectives on nature and its benefits. Tapping
others’ knowledge and considering their interests
can win valuable new supporters for your projectand defuse opposition.

2. SET GOALS AND MEASURE PROGRESS

Based on what you have learned about the ecosystem you want to protect or restore, decide
what you want to achieve in what period, perhaps
with interim targets along the way. Find measurable indicators that show whether you are making
progress, or if you need to adjust the project.

© Cris van Wolffelaar | Just Diggit

1. GET EVERYONE ON BOARD

3. HELP NATURE HELP ITSELF

We can’t always return degraded ecosystems to apristine state, but we can make them function in amore natural and sustainable way. So, projects
should support natural processes, such as nutrient cycling, and prioritize indigenous species ofplants and animals – rather than introducing ones
that are foreign to the landscape. That can often
have harmful effects.
There are several comprehensive sets of principles for ecosystem restoration.
Read up on the Society for Ecological Restoration’s international principles and standards. The
joint report of the Global Partnership on Forest
and Landscape Restoration includes shared principles (p.14) that can be applied in many ecosystems. The United States Environmental Protection
Agency’s principles of wetland restoration is also
an excellent resource. Have an experienced project
manager in your team? If not, check out the guidelines for developing and managing projects fromthe Society for Ecological Restoration and thesesteps for successful project development from
Restore America’s Estuaries.
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ECOSYSTEM BY ECOSYSTEM – WHAT RESTORATION CAN LOOK LIKE
We are now taking a deep dive into seven ecosystems. But don’t be intimidated – there are actions
for anyone and everyone to take in relation to eachecosystem. Read up on the ones you care about
and find out what you can do.

FORESTS AND TREES RIVERS AND LAKES TOWNS AND CITIES OCEANS AND COASTS FARMLANDS AND GRASSLANDS MOUNTAINS PEATLANDS

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FORESTS AND TREESForests and trees provide us with clean air andwater, capture vast amounts of climate-heating
carbon and are home to most of Earth’s biodiversity. They supply food and fodder, fuel andmaterials, and support the livelihoods of billions
of people.
But forest ecosystems face intense pressure
from our rising population and hunger for land
and resources. Vast areas of tropical forest are
being cleared for commodities like palm oil andbeef. Remaining forests are degraded by logging, firewood cutting, pollution and invasive
pests. Trees outside forests are fast making
way for houses, infrastructure and more intensive farming.
Restoring forest ecosystems involves returning
trees to formerly forested land, including settlements and agricultural areas, and improving thecondition of degraded forests. Here are someways to stop the bleeding of our forests andregreen the land.

Plant trees: Tree planting is a simple and hugely
popular restoration activity. You can add trees to agarden, a public space, a farm, across a landscapeor even a whole country. Selective planting canrevitalize a forest degraded by overharvesting. But
it is not enough to stick seedlings in the ground.
Many trees will die if you don’t protect or water
them. People will help in this task if they are
involved in the project – by helping to decide what
species are planted and where – and if they expect
to benefit. Local fruit trees, for example, come withdelicious incentives. Always remember that it is
not about simply planting trees but growing them.
And it should be the right tree, at the right place
and the right time. Planting species that are notadapted to local conditions can lead to problems– for example if “thirsty” species suck out waterfrom dry landscapes. These twenty innovations
for a trillion trees may give you some ideas forgetting tree-planting right.
Assist natural regeneration: This low-costrestoration strategy involves creating the conditions for indigenous trees to germinate or resprout naturally. This can mean excluding animals that would eat young shoots and removing
other vegetation, especially invasive species,that compete with the young trees for light andwater. It can also mean reaching community-level agreements to protect forests and trees, andmanaging them sustainably so that the newtrees are not all cut again later. The concept of“rewilding ” is becoming more and more popularin Europe and other places, where there isenough space and opportunity to introduce
species that have once been lost. Learn more at
the Rewilding Academy.

Forest landscape restoration: Well-resourced
projects can secure bigger restoration gains bylooking at a whole landscape. The larger scale
can make it easier to balance different interests,
for instance by supporting sustainable farming insome areas to reduce pressure on forests and lettrees re-grow on marginal land, or striking agreements to protect forests that provide clean watersupplies to both people and nature. Forest landscape restoration provides a great opportunity
for different decision makers to align – frombusinesses, to government agencies , to localgroups. Together, they can develop a sharedvision for their landscape.

Find out more:
There is a crash course in tree planting on the UN Decade
website. Read up on farmer-managed natural regeneration oftrees in West Africa. The FAO’s Forests and Landscapes
Restoration Model provides an introduction to good practices
for large-scale initiatives. The newly launched Restor platform
enables you to access ecological insights at the site level, toshow current and potential tree cover, which species of flora
could exist, and how much potential carbon could be stored. A
reforestation hub maps out opportunities for tree-planting – andtheir opportunities for capturing carbon – across the UnitedStates.

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RIVERS AND LAKES
Freshwater ecosystems supply food, water andenergy to billions of people, protect us fromdroughts and floods, and provide unique habitat
for many plants and animals, including one-thirdof all vertebrate species.
These ecosystems are particularly degraded.
They face pollution from chemicals, plastics andsewage as well as overfishing and overextractionof water. They attract real estate development
and recreation. Canalisation and mining for sandand gravel degrade them further. Wetlands arebeing drained for agriculture, with some 87 percent lost globally. One in three freshwater species
are threatened with extinction. Just one-third of
the world’s largest rivers remain free-flowing.
The rest are obstructed by dams and other infrastructure, which makes it hard for fish and otherwildlife to travel.
Protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems
can mean improving water quality, controlling how
these ecosystems and the land next to them areused, and stopping or reversing human modifications to natural processes. Here are some elements that can play a part in a restoration plan.

Clean it up: Gather up all the trash and junk
dumped or washed up so that people appreciate
the landscape and take better care of it. If it looks
like a dump, people will treat it like one!
Regulate access: Create agreed and easy-to-use
access points, for instance for animals to drink,boats to land, or people to swim and relax. This will
spare fragile vegetation, bird habitat and fish spawning grounds and reduce erosion at the water’s edge.

Find out more:
Take inspiration from the ‘Adopt a River’ section of this Rotary
Clubs guide. Consult this technical guide from the River
Restoration Centre in the United Kingdom or dive into thescience of river restoration in this academic paper. Take a tour oflake restoration efforts in India.

Restore vegetation: Plant indigenous species torestore rich habitats along the banks of rivers andlakes, create wildlife corridors, and create a bufferzone between the water and sources of pollution,such as nearby industries or farms; remove
invasive alien species. Did you know that 40% offish eat insects? In Australia, a movement ofanglers and recreational fishers is replanting
riverbanks, so that fish can return.
Plan sustainably: Develop fishing and harvestingplans that don’t deplete the water, fish or otherresources. Reduce and treat sewage, stop chemical
pollutants, industrial waste or other effluent entering the water. Strike agreements or pay incentives toreduce the use of agricultural chemicals on adjacent land. The nitrogen used in fertilizers can pose
one of the biggest threats to aquatic ecosystems.
Protect and restore nature: On a landscape scale,seek wide agreement on the declaration of important freshwater ecosystems as protected areas.
Remove dams or other infrastructure that are nolonger needed and restore natural river flow. And
campaign to keep residential development,
dredging or mining out of sensitive areas.
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TOWNS AND CITIESUrban areas occupy less than 1 per cent of the
Earth’s land surface but house more than half of
its people. Despite their steel and concrete,
crowds and traffic, cities and towns are still
ecosystems whose condition profoundly marks
the quality of our lives. Functioning urban ecosystems help clean our air and water, cool urban
heat islands, shield us from hazards and provide
opportunities for rest and play. They can also
host a surprising amount of biodiversity.
Urban ecosystems are often highly degraded.
Poor planning seals soils and leaves little spacefor vegetation. Waste and emissions from industry, traffic and homes pollutes waterways, soils
and the air. Unchecked urban sprawl gobbles up
more and more wildlife habitat. But authorities,
communities and citizens can use restoration toachieve environmental, social and cultural gains
at the same time. Here are some rewarding
approaches.

Green public spaces: Design and support initiatives to restore waterways and wetlands, plantindigenous trees, and create urban woodland andother wildlife habitats along roads and railways
and in public spaces. Get local businesses to help
with funding and expertise. Sometimes, the best
efforts come for free: Rewilding public spaces bymowing grass and cutting down plants lessattracts insects, birds, butterflies and even mammals to return to the city.

Find out more:
Consult hubs for ideas and initiatives for urban restoration,
including the Urban Nature Atlas, the CitiesWithNature initiative
and the Nature of Cities platform. Take inspiration from
Mexico’s plan for a massive new park in its capital, or the green
roofs of the Dutch city Utrecht. Take pointers from New York
City’s guide to caring for street trees. Finally, the SUGi Project
follows the Miyawaki method and shows how everyday people
can turn into urban forest makers – from the UK to India, from
Cameroon to Lebanon.

Citizens for sustainability: Campaign for sustainable urban planning, including the restoration ofdisused or contaminated sites, the inclusion ofgreen spaces in new housing developments, andstrong public transport networks. Faced withclimate change, more citizens get involved in“adopt-a-tree” initiatives that help ensure trees –especially the young ones with shallow roots –are watered during dry spells. Digital tools, like
apps, can support these efforts by tracking andcoordinating individual contributions.
One micro-ecosystem at a time: Manage your own
garden, yard, business premises or school, however big or small they are, in ways that boost nature,or care for a roadside tree. Plant indigenous species, start dense urban micro-forests and makecompost. Get others to do the same. Added together, a mass movement for micro-restoration can goa long way to enhancing the ecology and liveabilityof a whole city.

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OCEANS AND COASTS
Oceans and seas cover more than 70 per cent of
the Earth. These ecosystems regulate our climate
and generate most of the oxygen we breathe.
They underpin key economic sectors, such as
tourism and fisheries. And they harbour biodiversity from, whales to plankton, in habitats fromsun-lit reefs to polar oceans.
But oceans and coasts face huge threats. Millions
of tonnes of our plastic waste are harming creatures, including seabirds, turtles and crabs.
Climate change is damaging coral reefs and weare clearing mangroves for fish farms and otheractivities. Overfishing threatens fish stocks,
nutrient pollution is creating dead zones, and we
discharge nearly 80 per cent of our wastewater
without treatment.
We can restore oceans and coasts by reducing thepressures on them so they can recover, bothnaturally and with our help. We need to makethese ecosystems and communities more resilient in the face of global change. Here are someways we can help.

Clean up: Mobilize all ages to gather the massesof household waste and abandoned fishing gearthat wash up on our beaches and shores. Recycle plastics and other materials to keep themout of landfill. Stop using avoidable and unnecessary plastic products. Watch out for microbeads and microplastics hidden in products! The
more people take part, the more awarenessgrows of the need to reduce waste and disposeof it properly.

Find out more:
Help the CleanSeas campaign to turn the tide on plastic.
Consult the International Coral Reef Initiative’s guidelines forrestoring reefs and global restoration database. Check out thisseagrass restoration project in the United Kingdom or thispractical guidance on restoring native oyster beds. Seek expert
advice for your ecosystem and location from the Society for
Ecological Restoration.

Restore vegetation above and below the water:
Protect and restore coastal ecosystems including
saltmarshes, mangroves, coral reefs, sea-grassmeadows and shellfish beds to boost their diversity and the habitats and benefits they provide.
All ecosystems are complex, so get expert advice
for your location. Did you know, for example, that
seagrass beds store 18 per cent of oceaniccarbon, and are 35 times faster than rainforests
in doing so? They are also critical feeding
grounds for seahorses and manatee, who mightotherwise not survive. Get to know your local
oceans and coasts, and help bring back whatmakes them special.
Use the ocean wisely: Bring together communities, authorities and other stakeholders to agree
how to make coastal and ocean development
and fishing sustainable, for instance by creating
protected areas and deciding who can accesswhich resources. If fishing communities cometogether and jointly decide on protected areas
and fishing zones in their waters, people andnature benefit. Use citizen scientists to monitor the impact of degradation and the benefitsof restoration.
15

FARMLANDS AND GRASSLANDS
Farmlands and grasslands are perhaps our mostvital ecosystems. As well as supplying food,
fodder, and fibre, arable fields and grazing land
host a bewildering variety of organisms from batsand birds to beetles and worms as well as considerable tree cover. Marked by centuries of humaneffort and ingenuity, these ecosystems arecultural treasures whose protection makes
spiritual as well as economic sense.
Yet the way we are using many of these lands is
exhausting their vitality. Intensive ploughing andmonocultures, overgrazing and the removal ofhedges and trees are degrading precious soil andvegetation. Excess agrochemicals are polluting
waterways and harming wildlife, including bees
that pollinate crops.
We can restore rural ecosystems by using
nature to boost farm productivity and soil healthand improve how they manage the land. Hereare some of the options for farmers and livestock keepers.

Invest in nature: Reduce tillage and use natural
pest control and organic fertilizer on arable landto build the health of your soil and the yields ofyour crops while reducing erosion and the needfor farm chemicals.
Trust in diversity: Grow more trees and a greater
variety of crops and integrate them with livestock
keeping to further boost soil health, diversify yourincome and provide better wildlife habitat. Planting flowers along the borders of farmlands canprovide valuable “feeding stations” for bees andother pollinators.

Find out more:
The Greener.LAND initiative has created a visual guide totechniques for restoring land. The World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies has hundreds of methods toprotect and restore farmlands, grasslands and other ecosystems
in its Global Database on Sustainable Land Management. The
PANORAMA platform brings together proven solutions for arange of ecosystems – including ideas on how to increase
biodiversity in agriculture.

Keep grasslands whole: In extensive grasslands
and savannahs, protect areas along rivers where
nutrients are high from being converted to cropland. Without them, less productive areas are
harder to use sustainably.
Graze sustainably: Agree on grazing regimes thatprevent overuse, soil erosion and invasions ofgrasslands by shrubs and alien species. Restore
already degraded areas by clearing woody vegetation and re-seeding native grasses.
Bring back indigenous species: Reintroduce
eradicated plants, trees and animals and protect them from predation and hunting until they
are established.

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MOUNTAINSMountains harbour most of Earth’s biodiversity
hotspots and supply fresh water to an estimatedhalf of humanity. They include a multitude of
ecosystems providing a home to unique species,
such as snow leopards and mountain gorillas, aswell as great cultural diversity among people
adapted to the challenges of mountain life.
Mountain regions are particularly sensitive todegradation from human pressures and climatechange. Steep slopes mean the clearing of forest
can cause serious soil erosion and habitat loss.
Climate change and pollution threaten the supplies of water to farms, cities, industry and power
stations. Rising temperatures are forcing species,
ecosystems and the people that depend on themto adapt or migrate.
Restoring mountain ecosystems means considering whole landscapes. Many of the restoration
actions listed in this guide can be used also inmountains. Here are some examples.

Restore forest shields: Restore and replant forests and trees to protect soil, safeguard waterflows and guard against natural disasters, suchas avalanches, landslides and floods.

Find out more:
Read this overview of how healthy ecosystems reduce disasterrisks in mountainous areas. Many of the restoration techniques
discussed elsewhere in this guide can also be applied in
mountain ecosystems.

Limit extraction and excavation: Our hunger forresources can have catastrophic consequences
for mountains and hillsides. Make sure thatlandscapes are restored after mining operations
have ended.
Let ecosystems migrate: Create or connect
protected areas covering different altitudes sothat species and ecosystems can migrate according to the shifting climate.
Farm for resilience: Promote and adopt sustainable farming techniques, such as agroforestry, that
restore soils and biodiversity and can be more
resilient in the face of climate change and extreme weather.
Learn from experience: Tap local and indigenous knowledge to keep the use of natural
resources sustainable.

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PEATLANDS
Though they cover only 3 per cent of the world’s
land, peatlands store nearly 30 per cent of its soil
carbon. They control water supplies and prevent
floods and droughts and provide many people
with food and fuel. They also house plants andanimals unique to these watery environments.
Despite their importance, peatlands around theworld are being drained and converted for agriculture, infrastructure development, mining andoil and gas exploration. Peatlands are also being
degraded by fire, overgrazing, nitrogen pollution
and the extraction of peat for fuel and as a growing medium.
To prevent dangerous climate change, we need tohold peatland carbon where it is – wet, and in the
ground. At the same time, we must re-wet andrestore drained and degraded peatlands. Here aresome ways to do that.

Protect peatlands: Include these sensitive ecosystems in protected areas to prevent their drainage, conversion and overuse.
Dam the drains: Keep peatlands healthy by closing drainage channels and slowing water flows,for example by putting rocks in ditches andstreams and growing trees along their banks.
Accelerate recovery: Plant and seed peatland
plant species, such as native grasses and mosses, to boost their natural regeneration.
Limit pressures: Outside protected areas, workwith stakeholders to establish sustainable use ofpeatlands, for instance as extensive grazing
lands. Promote alternative energy sources toreduce demand for peat as a fuel.

Find out more:
The International Mire Conservation Group has produced apeatland restoration guide and a collection of case studies thatcan give you some ideas on actions to take in peatlands.

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CHOICES FOR RESTORATIONAs well as fixing ecosystems on the ground, let’s
give them a break. It is our massive collective
environmental footprint that is degrading nature.
We can tread more lightly by changing what wedo, what we consume, and the waste we leavebehind. Here’s how you can cut your personal
impact and let ecosystems rebound.

GO GREEN

Whether you are an individual or an organization,choose goods and services with a credible
eco-label. That rewards companies that, forinstance, make recyclable products, reducepackaging and meet environmental and social
standards. Buy from local suppliers to cut theenvironmental impacts of transport and support
farming products adapted to your local ecosystems. Be creative in inspiring others to help local
plants thrive! Seedballs, like these from Kenya,
are a great way to help people green up. But besure to choose the right seedlings for the righttime and place.

© Kadir van Lohuizen / NOORLIVE LIGHT

Do you really need new clothes and gadgets? Do
your family and friends want more gifts? Can’t
vacations or business gatherings take place closer
to home? COVID-19 lockdowns have shown many
people that they can live well with less consumption and travel. You can also cut your resource use
by buying used goods, and by repairing, sharing
and borrowing more. Follow the “reuse, recycle,
refuse” principle when making decisions.

EAT RIGHT

For most people on this planet, this means: Eat lessmeat and dairy produce and reduce how much food
you waste. Favor locally grown produce that needs
less packaging and transport. Eat seasonally andregionally: find out which fruits and plants grownear you during which time of year. Many organizations have started creative calendars that help
people decide what to eat when. Can’t find one?
Design your own! Plant-based diets are lessland-hungry and can be better for your health.
Choose organic produce to combat the pesticides
and fertilizers degrading our agricultural andfreshwater ecosystems. Punch your data into
WWF’s planet-based diet calculator to see how
your eating habits impact Earth’s ecosystems.

FUND RESTORATION

Donate to organizations and community groups
involved in ecosystem restoration and sign up for
updates on their projects. Check their credibility
and track record before parting with any cash. Readup on how they ensure that trees or other plants
survive, how they involve local communities, if they
perhaps create jobs and other benefits along theway, and how their efforts will last into the future. If
you have money to invest, channel it to certified
green investment funds or green banks that invest
in sustainability. The Terramatch platform, forexample, is designed to connect investors withrestoration projects in need of funding.

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RAISE YOUR VOICE FOR #GENERATIONRESTORATIONThe UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration will
succeed if people pull together as communities,
nations and as a global movement. As well as
getting involved in on-the-ground restoration andtaking responsibility for your personal impact on
the environment, you can spread the word about
how healthy ecosystems are the foundation forhuman well-being, and that there is a lot that we
can all do to protect them.
This is vital because rebuilding ecosystems
requires action from everyone, everywhere. It isalso crucial to generate political momentum forrestoration, because many of the underlying
causes of degradation must be addressed at thenational or international level. For example, only
governments can change damaging economic
policies, establish networks of protected areas
and rein in pollution and climate change.
Political leaders and other decision makers who
grasp this challenge can act boldly if they knowthat millions of people stand beside them. So
become an advocate for ecosystems and grow
#GenerationRestoration into a movement thattransforms our planet’s future. Here are someways to amplify the message on World Environment Day and every day for the next decade.

TURN RESTORATION VIRAL

Whether you are a government, a group, a business or an individual, announce your restorationcommitment or initiative on social media withthe #GenerationRestoration hashtag. Take partin online discussions about restoration and post
pictures and updates on your achievements.

GET CREATIVE

Hold a concert, paint a mural, organize an exhibition or take people on an excursion to a threatened ecosystem to mark World Environment Day
and celebrate #GenerationRestoration. If restrictions needed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic
make public events and gatherings unwise, maybe
you can move your events and artwork online.

MAKE A SPLASH

Organize a campaign or a flash mob to press forrestoration of an ecosystem that you care about.
That could be the local wetland at your doorstep
or rainforests far away. Use the UN Decade visual
identity and social media assets to give yourmessage global weight and meaning.

GREEN YOUR CIRCLES

Ask friends, relatives and colleagues what theyvalue about local ecosystems and discuss what
could be done to improve things. Encourage themto learn about ecosystems and their benefits andto join #GenerationRestoration.

RAISE YOUR VOICETake part in public forums and consultations, radio
phone-ins and debates on managing and improving the local environment. Speak up in public andin private for the sustainable use of resources forthe benefit of all, including future generations.

USE YOUR VOTE

Support political parties and leaders with strong
commitments to restoration, sustainable development and social justice, especially if they have kept
past promises to prevent environmental degradation. Hold your leaders accountable – has yourcountry or regional government made any pledges
to restoration? And if so, have they lived up tothem? Were the restoration activities of a qualitythat benefitted people and ecosystems? Or could
your leaders do more and better in the future?

JOIN UP

Become a member of an organization or politicalmovement with influence on how our ecosystems
are managed. Work to advance both ambition andaction to prevent environmental degradation andits social consequences. The UN Decade’s
website will be home to a digital hub, connecting
restoration initiatives across the globe.
Whatever you do to spread the word and advanceecosystem restoration, you can use the UN Decade’svisual identity on your website, social media or
printed on a T-shirt or a sign at your restoration site.
Read more about it in our brand guide.
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YOUR FEEDBACK MATTERS
Protecting what we have and healing what we
damaged is a task too daunting for any one entity
to lead. It takes a movement. It takes you.
Our journey has only started. Over the next ten
years, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
will bring together governments, businesses,
science and academia, and every concerned
citizen to restore our planet.
We hope that this Playbook can help you takeyour first steps on this journey.
Did you find it useful? Would you share it withothers? What can we improve? Please contact us
at restorationdecade@un.org

THANK YOU FROM EVERYONE AT
THE WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY AND
UN DECADE TEAMS