The Long Run Joins UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030.
The Long Run is delighted to be an Actor for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021 - 2030. This initiative is a critical rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems worldwide, recognising that healthy ecosystems are essential to enhance livelihoods, counteract climate change, and stop biodiversity collapse.
Thais Corral, Founding Director of Global Ecosphere Retreat® member Sinal do Vale is also currently serving as co-chair of the initiative’s Advisory Board. Based on her experience with Sinal do Vale, Thais wants to show that it is at the local scale, in bioregions, that the interaction between people and ecosystems is possible, viable, and immediate.
She says, 'We belong to a new generation of leaders who choose to live in places outside urban centres and close to ecosystems. We want to inspire many people to follow our example. The major restoration goals established over the past 30 years will only be possible if thousands of local agents embrace this vision and are willing to mobilise the resources to achieve these objectives in place-based initiatives.’
As an Actor for the decade, we join over 100 other organisations with ecosystem restoration and revival at the heart of their mission to support, work towards, and champion the 10 Principles for Ecosystem Restoration:
The Long Run is delighted to be an Actor for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021 - 2030.
Principle 1: Global Contribution
Ecosystem restoration is a collective effort that contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Goals of the Rio Conventions. It's a shared responsibility among all public and private sectors and stakeholders at local, national and international levels to prevent, halt, and reverse ecosystem degradation.
Principle 2: Broad Engagement
Ecosystem restoration promotes inclusive and participatory governance, social fairness, and equity from the start and throughout the process. This inclusive participation is not just a nice-to-have but a necessity for achieving the desired outcomes of restoration over the long term and should be promoted as much as possible throughout the process, from planning to monitoring.
Principle 3: Many Types of Activities
Ecosystem restoration encompasses a wide range of activities, employed singly or collectively, aiming to repair degraded ecosystems. To be considered ecosystem restoration, however, the activity must result in net gain for biodiversity, ecosystem health and integrity, and human well-being, including sustainable production of goods and services.
Principle 4: Benefits to Nature and People
Ecosystem restoration aims to achieve the highest level of recovery for nature, whole ecosystem health, and human well-being. This includes climate change mitigation and human health well-being locally, nationally, and globally.
Principle 5: Addresses causes of Degradation
All restorative activities should concurrently address the direct and indirect causes of ecosystem degradation and fragmentation and the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem goods and services. Otherwise, restorative efforts may fail in the long term. Plans or initiatives adopted must incorporate ecological, socio-economic, and cultural considerations.
Principle 6: Knowledge Integration
Ecosystem restoration integrates all types of knowledge, including Indigenous, traditional, local, and scientific, and promotes continual exchange. Inclusive decision-making and full participation from local stakeholders will lead to more successful restoration efforts in the long term. Making knowledge highly accessible will also help to highlight and fill gaps.
Principle 7: Measurable Goals
Well-defined short-, medium-, and long-term ecological, cultural, and socio-economic objectives and goals are vital for successful ecosystem restoration and communicating results.
Principle 8: Local and Land/ Seascape Contexts
Ecosystem restoration can be undertaken at any scale - from areas less than a hectare to large landscapes or seascapes. Whatever the size, taking into account the ecological, cultural, and socio-economic contexts both locally and globally is essential.
Principle 9: Monitoring and Management
To understand whether objectives are being met, monitoring biodiversity health, ecosystem health, and human well-being responses to ecosystem restoration is vital. To be effective, this must start at the inception of the project. Since restoration is a long-term endeavour with constantly shifting conditions, adaptive management and monitoring systems are essential.
Principle 10: Policy Integration
Successful ecosystem restoration depends on an enabling policy environment, collaboration and coordination between all stakeholders, and promoting and replicating proven ecosystem restoration models.
“Ecosystems support all life on Earth. The healthier our ecosystems are, the healthier the planet - and its people. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration aims to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. It can help to end poverty, combat climate change and prevent a mass extinction. It will only succeed if everyone plays a part.”
— UN Decade on ecosystem restoration 2021 - 2030.
