Global ecosystem restoration reaches 252 million hectares across 149 countries

Ecosystems are being restored at an unprecedented rate across 149 countries, UN News reported. Around 252 million hectares of land and sea are currently undergoing restoration, marking the largest documented effort of its kind. The vast initiative covers an area roughly equivalent in size to Kazakhstan. [1]

The international restoration movement spans diverse habitats, from salmon spawning grounds in Canada to coral reefs in Indonesia. According to UN News, the extensive environmental projects have created more than one million green jobs worldwide. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, stated that the world is witnessing the makings of one of the largest movements for nature in recorded history. [1]

European conservation efforts are also supporting species recovery across the continent. Rewilding Europe, a non-profit organisation based in Nijmegen, Netherlands, creates rewilded landscapes that have helped increase populations of previously endangered species, including the European bison and the Iberian lynx. [2]

Community interest in ecological recovery is also reflected in public artwork. As HEROIC BREAKING NEWS reported earlier, artist Rebecca Howard spent a year painting nine nature restoration projects across Britain, including temperate rainforests in Cornwall and saltmarshes along the Ribble estuary. [4]