How to Accelerate Global Ecosystem Restoration at the Midpoint of the UN Decade
Every day, passionate individuals around the world are striving to meet the complex challenge of achieving our ambitious global restoration targets. This includes the 1,300 practitioners, researchers, scientists, funders, investors, students, artists, and engineers who will be gathering at the 11th World Conference on Ecological Restoration (SER2025) in Denver, Colorado, in just over one month.
Our morning plenary sessions at SER2025 will set the tone for the day’s discussions. Keynote speakers will offer valuable insights and practical expertise into how we can turn our global commitments into tangible actions for global restoration across different biomes: terrestrial, coastal and marine, and inland waters.
We asked several of our panelists what they see as the key enabling conditions for accelerating restoration as we enter the second half of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. They agree that there is no single pathway to meeting these goals. That the work we do is not about crossing a theoretical finish line, but about evolving and enhancing our relationship with nature, with each other, and with ourselves. It is about creating the right incentives and measures of success that support the regeneration of nature, work that is inextricably linked to human health and wellbeing.
Advocate
Ana Lucía Maya-Aguirre
Ana Lucía Maya-Aguirre is director and co-founder of the Center for Marine Justice. As a specialist in constitutional law, she works and advocates for social and environmental rights in the restoration and sustainable use of marine and coastal areas in Colombia.
“When we talk about environmental protection, we are also talking about the protection of individual and community rights. Threats to marine areas, such as pollution and over-fishing, disrupt migration patterns and ecosystem balance and affect the sustainable and equitable use of marine biodiversity. They also threaten the health and livelihood of coastal communities that depend on these resources, especially artisanal fishing communities. We cannot separate environmental action from human rights. Remembering and advocating for the inseparable relationship that humans have with nature offers us a powerful tool to advance environmental action.”
Convene
Beth Lambert
For over 25 years, Beth Lambert has supported communities across the US in restoring rivers, wetlands and watersheds. She works with land-owners, communities, non-profits, and agencies to protect our vital water sources.
“Common-sense restoration actions like dam removal, culvert upgrades, coastal wetland restoration, and freshwater wetland restoration help both people and nature adapt to climate change. The many benefits and co-benefits of these projects bring together diverse coalitions of supporters, from environmental advocates to outdoor enthusiasts, local governments, state agencies, infrastructure managers, and many others. By working together, we create a shared vision of the benefits of restoration for all people. I believe this is the best and only way to achieve restoration goals.”
Inspire
Christophe Besacier
Christophe Besacier is a Senior Forestry Officer and is currently coordinating the Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism (FLRM) at FAO. He provides technical assistance for the implementation of restoration projects in more than 20 countries.
“Restoring forests and landscapes requires wide-scale mobilization of governments, investors, and the private sector across countries and regions. National policy decisions can impact the health, livelihood, and food security of communities many thousands of miles away and even across borders. This is a complex problem that requires intersectional and transnational collaboration on policy, financing, and engagement of diverse stakeholders. Above all, it requires the ability to inspire action with a long-term view of creating a richer, more resilient world for the next generation”.
Collaborate
James Rattling Leaf
James Rattling Leaf dedicates his life to advancing knowledge through collaboration. As an Indigenous leader, he champions the integration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with Western science to advance environmental resilience.
“The environmental crisis we are experiencing today is also a spiritual crisis. We need to build and maintain connection to our natural world in order to save it. For generations, Indigenous peoples around the world have applied our culture, our customs and our Knowledge to maintain a reciprocal relationship with our environment. I believe that the combination of Traditional Ecological Knowledge with Western Science is essential to mitigate and adapt to the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.”
Analyze
Maia Reed
Maia Reed works at the nexus of climate, agriculture and sustainability. As Global Data Lead for Mars Petcare, she applies her extensive knowledge and experience of data and analysis with the goal of establishing a resilient, climate-smart agricultural sector.
“Food is a fundamental human need, but many of our agricultural practices today are unsustainable; the UN FAO estimates that over 60% of human-induced land degradation is a result of agricultural practices. We can’t manage what we don’t measure, which is why I am passionate about the importance of data to help us create a more resilient agricultural sector. One that takes a long-term view so we can reconnect with the land and the people who grow the food we depend on”.
We look forward to welcoming this esteemed panel to SER2025 for the 2 October morning plenary. Each day of the conference, our keynote speakers will cover topics including marine coral restoration, grassland conservation and species recovery, watershed restoration through large-scale dam removal, Indigenous-led restoration and cultural healing, coastal wetland restoration for biodiversity and climate benefits, and collaborative governance models between Indigenous nations and conservation agencies.
These diverse perspectives will illustrate how effective restoration reaches beyond scientific practice to include cultural renewal, community empowerment, and the fundamental healing of relationships between people and nature, through essential collaborative strategies that characterize this critical phase of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.