Land Restoration Day, also known as World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, is observed annually on June 17. The day aims to raise awareness about desertification, land degradation, and drought, while promoting solutions for restoring degraded land and enhancing sustainable practices.
Land restoration enhances biodiversity by rehabilitating degraded ecosystems, which provides habitats for various plants, animals, and microorganisms. This process not only improves ecosystem health but also supports essential services like clean water and food production.
Land restoration is crucial to achieving international goals like the SDGs, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030), the Paris Agreement, and UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
NORDECO (Nordic Agency for Development and Ecology) is actively promoting land restoration through a combination of community-driven approaches, scientific research, and international collaboration. Here are some key initiatives:
1. Farmer clusters for Realising Agrobiodiversity across Ecosystems
NORDECO is part of the EU funded Farmer Clusters across Europe and the UK, a platform supporting sustainable agriculture and biodiversity in rural ecosystems. focus is on facilitating community-based management of natural resources, ecosystems and biodiversity.
2. Community-Based Natural Resource Management
NORDECO emphasizes participatory management, working alongside local communities in Africa, Europe, and the Arctic. Their projects support sustainable land use, forest conservation, and biodiversity protection by integrating local knowledge with scientific data. This approach ensures that restoration efforts are context-specific and culturally appropriate.
3. Citizen Science for Forest Governance
In Tanzania, NORDECO is involved in the Maarifa project, which aims to decolonize forest management by empowering local communities through digital tools. The project promotes the use of smartphone applications for citizen-led environmental monitoring, enhancing forest governance and conservation outcomes.
4. EU-Funded Environmental Compliance
NORDECO leads the More4nature project under the EU’s Horizon Europe program, focusing on collaborative environmental compliance. The initiative involves citizens in monitoring and reporting environmental degradation, such as pollution and biodiversity loss, thereby fostering a more inclusive approach to land restoration.
5. Research and Capacity Building
Through research initiatives like Monitoring Matters NORDECO compares various biodiversity and natural resource monitoring systems. The findings aim to improve local monitoring schemes and enhance participation in sustainable resource management, contributing to effective land restoration strategies.
By integrating scientific research with community engagement and international collaboration, NORDECO is making significant strides in promoting land restoration and sustainable environmental management.
