The UN has announced seven new World Restoration Flagships, recognizing the best large-scale, long-term ecosystem restoration projects. Included in the list is the Regreening Africa initiative, which has restored more than 350,000 hectares of land in eight countries, from Ethiopia to Ghana, according to the UN. Scroll through the gallery to see more flagship projects.
Brian Gathu
The Terai Arc Landscape initiative protects a 2.47 million-hectare area shared by India and Nepal. It is home to wildlife including rhinos, tigers, elephants and crocodiles.
A.Christy Williams/UNEP
Living Indus has restored 1.35 million hectares of land around the River Indus in Pakistan and aims to restore 25 million hectares of river basin by 2030.
Waqar Arshad/UNEP
The African Farmers Transforming Food Systems initiative works with farmers from Tanzania to Cameroon to regenerate degraded land, and is planting millions of trees in the region.
Todd Brown/UNEP
Building on a community reforestation model, Accion Andina is protecting Andean forests across seven countries, including Ecuador, pictured. Last year it was a winner of the Earthshot Prize, and aims to eventually restore 1 million hectares of forest by 2045.
UNEP/ Todd Brown
The Sri Lanka Mangrove Regeneration Initiative was launched in 2015 and has so far restored 500 hectares of mangroves, according to the UN, helping coastal communities that rely on these ecosystems. Around 10,000 hectares are set to be restored by the end of the decade.
UNEP/Todd Brown
Since 2017, the Restoring Mediterranean Forests initiative has restored about 2 million hectares of forest in Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey. Pictured, volunteers preparing the land for tree plantation in Ramlieh, Lebanon.
