The midpoint of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration invites us to take stock of where we are in our journey towards restoring our planet for the benefit of people and nature. The daily headlines remind us of how far we have to go and of all the obstacles in our way. But what if, instead, we focused on what we have achieved and, more importantly, what we are capable of achieving in the coming months, years and decades.
Around the world, thousands of brilliant and inspirational scientists, researchers, practitioners, lawyers, teachers and students, Indigenous knowledge-holders, artists, businesspeople, entrepreneurs, and (yes) politicians are working tirelessly to restore our planet. They are trying to solve problems, inspire action, and drive change. But it is when we come together that the magic really happens.
Raising the bar for restoration success
The quality of restoration outcomes is not measured only in hectares. Success in restoration comes when we harness tools and expertise from different knowledge systems. By building connections, we build resilience. Through collaboration, we find solutions that are more than the sum of our individual contributions.
For example, a mining company with decades of experience in large-scale reclamation and wetland rehabilitation that partners with communities to enhance local biodiversity and works with scientists to share their expertise and improve outcomes for other landscapes in other regions. A public-private partnership working with landowners to restore critical habitats for migratory birds on productive agricultural landscapes. Researchers applying systems thinking to map the interconnections, feedback loops, and leverage points that can help overcome resistance and balance trade-offs for large-scale restoration projects. Scientists studying the importance of tree diversity in tropical landscapes find the critical thresholds for complexity in a landscape that can help deliver the best restoration outcomes, while increasing efficiencies for cost-effective restoration planning.
These are just a few examples of projects that will be presented at SER2025. By sharing insights and learnings like these, we contribute to the mosaic of experiences that enable the acceleration and scaling of restoration. And by bringing our own experiences, we help others move their ideas forward.
From commitment to action
We have robust and practical global frameworks, standards of practice to guide and measure our work, international working groups for learning and collaboration, innovative funding that takes into account the unique risks and rewards of restoration projects, and progressive policies to provide incentives and support the practice of restoration. Now we need to go out and get our hands dirty!
Moving from commitment to action in restoration is a central focus of SER2025. The conference will showcase ways in which we can lower the barriers to start, fund, and scale projects. You will discover tools that reduce the time, energy, and cost of planning. Technologies such as maps that show peatland extent, enable quicker selection of restoration sites and minimise the time needed to assess existing conditions. Lessons learned through citizen engagement for urban restoration can be applied to other cities for the implementation of natural solutions that benefit communities. A riparian restoration project in Spain provides a model that can be replicated in other Mediterranean ecosystems.
We have the will and we have the way. SER2025 provides the forum for these ideas to come together and grow exponentially. As SER’s Executive Director, Bethanie Walder, likes to say:
Restoration is the antidote to despair.