St. Lucia Coral Reef Restoration Project Among 10 UN initiatives Recognized as 2022 World Restoration Flagships
MONTREAL, Canada – A flagship project aimed at is scaling up ridge-to-reef restoration of unique ecosystems and tapping blue economic growth to help island communities rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic is among 10 ground-breaking efforts from around the globe recognized by the United Nations.
Image by: Frank Papushka/UNEPThe UN said that the project classified as the “Small Island Developing States Restoration Drive,” focused on three small island developing states, namely, St. Lucia, Vanuatu and Comoros.
It said the goals of the project include a reduction in pressures on coral reefs, which are vulnerable to storm damage, so that fish stocks can recover. Ecosystems under restoration also include seagrass beds, mangroves and forests.
“As well as creating a “toolbox” of solutions for sustainable island development, this flagship aims to amplify the voice of island nations facing rising sea levels and intensifying storms as a result of climate change,” the UN added.
The UN said the winning initiatives aimed at restoring the natural world, were unveiled at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) here and a special virtual gala event featuring actors Jason Momoa and Edward Norton, Dr. Jane Goodall, extreme mountaineer Nirmal Purja, singer Ellie Goulding, as well as the UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo.
The initiatives were declared World Restoration Flagships and are eligible to receive UN-backed promotion, advice or funding. They were selected under the banner of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global movement coordinated by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It is designed to prevent and reverse the degradation of natural spaces across the planet.
The UN said that together, the 10 flagships aim to restore more than 68 million hectares and create nearly 15 million jobs.
In revealing the World Restoration Flagships, the UN Decade seeks to honor the best examples of large-scale and long-term ecosystem restoration, embodying the 10 Restoration Principles of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
The UN Decade acknowledges the time needed for restoration efforts to deliver results. Until 2030, regular calls for World Restoration Flagships will be launched.
In expectation of increased funding to the UN Decade’s Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF), additional submissions are being considered, including restoration drives from Pakistan, Peru, and an initiative focusing on Somalia and other drought-affected countries.
“Transforming our relationship with nature is the key to reversing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste,” said Andersen:
“These 10 inaugural World Restoration Flagships show that with political will, science, and collaboration across borders, we can achieve the goals of the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration and forge a more sustainable future not only for the planet but also for those of us who call it home,” the UNEP official added.
The FAO Director General, Qu Dongyu, said his organization together with UNEP, as co-lead of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, is pleased to award the 10 most ambitious, visionary and promising ecosystem restoration initiatives as 2022 World Restoration Flagships.
“Inspired by these flagships, we can learn to restore our ecosystems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life for all, leaving no one behind,” he added.
The other winning initiatives come from Abu Dhabi, Africa, India, Central America, Indonesia and China.
