UN World Restoration Flagships

• The United Nations has recognized seven initiatives from regions spanning Africa, and Latin America, the Mediterranean, and Southeast Asia as World Restoration Flagships.

The Restoring Mediterranean Forests Initiative:

• Involves the countries of Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, and Türkiye.
• It consists of a novel approach said to have protected and restored natural habitats and vulnerable ecosystems.

The Living Indus initiative:

• Approved by Pakistan parliament post-2022 climate change-induced floods. Its official launch took place at the 27th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Sharm el-Sheikh.
• Aims to restore 25 million hectares of the Indus river basin by 2030.
• It designates the Indus River as a living entity with rights, a measure taken to protect rivers elsewhere as well.

The Acción Andina Social Movement:

• It is led by the non-profit Andean Ecosystems Association (ECOAN) and aims to protect and restore one million hectares of Andean forests.
• Andean forests are a type of tropical and subtropical forest that grow along the slopes of the Andes mountains in South America.

Sri Lanka Mangrove Regeneration Initiative:

• It is a science-driven programme co-led by local communities. It focuses on the restoration of natural balance in the ecosystem.
• Since its launch in 2015, efforts have led to 500 hectares of restored mangroves, according to the UN statement.
• Targets restoration of 10,000 hectares of mangroves by 2030.

Terai Arc Landscape(TAL) Initiative:

• Aimed to restore the forests of critical corridors of the TAL in collaboration with local communities working as citizen scientists, community-based anti-poaching units, and forest guards, among others.
• TAL spans an 810 km stretch between the river Yamuna in the west and the river Bhagmati in the east.
• It comprises the Shivalik hills, the adjoining bhabhar areas, and the Terai floodplains, covering parts of the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and the low-lying hills of Nepal.

Regreening Africa’s Agriculture:

• It increases carbon storage, boosts crop and grass yields, makes soil more resilient (by preventing floods) and treats it with fixed nitrogen that acts as a natural fertiliser.

Growing Forests in Africa’s Drylands Initiative:

• Expands restoration from 41,000 to 229,000 hectares by 2030.
• Involves African farmers, planting tens of millions of trees annually.

What are UN World Restoration Flagships?

• About:
• The World Restoration Flagships are part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) which aims to prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean.
• The UN General Assembly has declared 2021–2030 as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
• The UN recognizes the World Restoration Flagships through the World Restoration Flagship Award.
• This award is part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, spearheaded by UNEP and FAO, which aims to counteract ecosystem degradation across all continents and oceans.

Mains Practice Question

Examine the significance and objectives of the UN World Restoration Flagships within the framework of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Analyze the role of these flagships in addressing global challenges related to ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss.

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