Ecosystems are us

Alongside the June launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), the dire predictions of the latest UN report on climate change may appear far more deserving of our urgent attention. But as a joint report on biodiversity and climate change explains, “Restoring carbon- and species-rich ecosystems on land and in the ocean is also highly effective for both climate change mitigation and biodiversity, with large adaptation co-benefits.” In short, ecosystem restoration is part and parcel of how we address climate change.

Many of the planet’s 108 identified ecosystems are in bad shape. Deterioration of these landscapes, freshwater systems and seascapes threatens critical life support systems. This not only contributes to climate change and biodiversity loss, it has disastrous consequences for us on every level.

About 1.87 billion people live on the 44% of the Earth’s land surface identified as important for conservation and restoration, mostly in developing countries. But ecosystems – natural, semi-natural, managed or urban – are not just where we happen to live. They comprise the very fabric of our lives. Ecosystems provide vital goods and services ranging from production of fuel, fodder and food to the regulation of air and water quality. Without the ecosystem services that underpin soil health, facilitate pollination and pest control, and support crop adaptability via wild genetic resources, our food systems would collapse.  

What’s this all about, then?

So what does ecosystem restoration mean?

This is the first, fundamental question posed by a new think piece published by the Science Task Force (STF) of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The STF acknowledges that in order to secure the support of practitioners, policymakers and investors, we need to be clear on what ecosystem restoration means. Significantly, restoration should be guided by a ‘wholescape’ approach, focusing on preventing further degradation, fostering recovery and preventing future degradation of impacted ecosystems across the entire spectrum of ecosystems. Rather than trying to remove our impact on interconnected socio-ecological systems – which would not be desirable or possible, given our dependency on managed and urban ecosystems – restoration is about changing how we impact the environment, starting now. According to James Kairo, Chief Scientist at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute and STF member, “COVID-19 presents us with a unique opportunity to build back better by restoring our degraded ecosystems.”

Why have many restoration efforts been only partially successful?

We have to learn from past failures as well as successes. Many previous efforts have fallen short because they have lacked a holistic perspective with which to tackle the challenge of restoring ecosystems. The think piece unwraps the truth that global economic and political systems that externalise environmental costs are unfavourable to restoration. But systemic change is what is really needed if we are to move beyond piecemeal achievements. Governments do ‘short term’ well enough, but perform poorly on long-term objectives. The long view is fundamental to ecosystem restoration. Fit-for-purpose restoration based on the best scientific knowledge has to reach out to local communities as much as policymakers and investors. As Mike Acreman of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and STF member explains, “Good science makes for good restoration.”

What can we do? And how can we build a lasting movement for ecosystem restoration?

As social agents, individually or as part of a group, we are motivated by different needs. Yet, by valuing healthy ecosystems and collaborating on the basis of shared principles, we can all contribute to ecosystem restoration. This could be through local actions across rural and urban spaces; equally, it could be through corporate action that drives restoration by acting on market incentives supported by government. Innovations, and platforms to disseminate them, will be essential. The STF describes a number of case studies that highlight the roles played by social agents working together, from New Zealand to Brazil.

Can we all get along?

The underlying theme of the think piece is that of meaningful collaboration between all parties. Without a shared understanding of ecosystem restoration, any attempts are doomed to failure. The STF emphasises five key messages:

• The environmental and social benefits of restoration are many, but if they are to be fairly distributed, and restoration is to be sustained, it has to be based on genuinely inclusive engagement between stakeholders.
• The conditions have to be right. Local norms and governance are especially important in tipping the balance towards sustainable restoration.
• In managing such a complex task as ecosystem restoration at scale, there will be tradeoffs: the trick is in managing these equitably.
• Given a US$300 billion shortfall in financing for restoration infrastructure, it is critical to secure the buy-in of the market. Governments must provide the incentives to encourage business owners, big and small, to take a leap of faith in ecosystem restoration as an investment for better livelihoods, jobs and business development.
• We need to learn from our mistakes, ensure transparent monitoring and evaluation, and apply adaptive management based on incremental rather than overambitious goals.

Helping hands make light work

When it comes to ecosystem restoration, there is no such thing as too many cooks. Individual landowners and users, civil society, the private sector, investors, government agencies and researchers all have a role to play, separately and in tandem. Here are the six fronts on which the movement for ecosystem restoration must be engaged:

1. The people and communities working and living in the ecosystems to be restored are often sidelined. Planners must understand that local knowledge, including of indigenous peoples, is the most valid basis for locally orientated restoration. Communities should be empowered to transfer their knowledge while keeping abreast of the latest good practices for restoration. Gam A. Shimray, STF member and Secretary General of the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, calls for “an ecosystem restoration movement where local leaders and communities are empowered to lead, drawing on holistic thinking and local wisdom inspired by our transcendental values and ideals.”

2. The private sector, which determines the market chains for the inputs and outputs of ecosystems, has a prime role in influencing landowners and managers. If the right incentives are provided by government, ecosystem costs and benefits will be internalised by companies. Public pressure and global agreements can persuade business leaders to tip the balance towards sustainable ecosystem restoration.

3. Governments shape the policy and legal frameworks within which the users of ecosystems operate. Governments also choose and implement strategies and programmes that impact ecosystems at local, regional and national levels. If they have tended to view restoration as either a distraction or an add-on, the spread of natural capital accounting should help make the case for decision makers to direct public finance into restoration initiatives.

4. Given the scale of investment required, restoration activities depend on the commitment of the private sector. Though in the past there have not been many attractive opportunities for investment, there is now scope to combine with public sector investments and take advantage of evolving government incentives and technologies to facilitate investment. Offset markets, for instance, have unlocked significant financing for restoration projects globally.

5. Without the impetus of civil society movements – from activists to non-governmental organisations – business-as-usual approaches towards externalising the costs of ecosystem degradation will almost certainly continue. Civil society can play a key role in resource mobilisation, technology development, capacity-building and, above all, raising awareness, particularly of those most affected by ecosystem degradation.

6. If civil society provides the fire, researchers furnish the kindling. Unfortunately, inconvenient research findings are often ignored or misunderstood. Researchers need to go the extra mile in communicating solutions to the multiple environmental crises we face – solutions that are not just technical fixes based on a scientific understanding of ecological processes, but which consider the social, economic and political dimensions of different restoration approaches. IUCN has been spearheading science and practice since 1948, and has a critical role in the UN Decade as the  secretariat for the Bonn Challenge, through the monitoring support provided by the Red List of Ecosystems, and mobilisation of its vast network on the ground.

There is a long way to go for ecosystem restoration: the UN Decade is only the beginning. But if we ask the right questions and recognise that we all have a part to play in “an unprecedented effort to heal the Earth”, according to UN Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez, we can “finally make peace with Nature and secure a better future for all.”

LINK TO THINK PIECE FROM THE SCIENCE TASK FORCE

‘Science-based ecosystem restoration for the 2020s and beyond’ was launched at a session of the IUCN World Conservation Congress. You don’t need to register or pay a fee to watch the session live.