The world is making progress in restoring degraded ecosystems, with 252 million hectares of ecosystems documented as under restoration worldwide in 2026, the greatest effort on record. However, this is still not nearly fast enough to meet the targets set out in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Governments have pledged to restore nearly 1 billion hectares, but implementation needs to triple to meet Target 2, which calls for restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030.
The report, co-published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, the UN Environment Programme, and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, highlights that land restoration dominates the tally, with 232 million hectares, or 92% of the total, being terrestrial. However, land restoration must roughly double to 469 million hectares to meet the 2030 target. In contrast, freshwater ecosystems, such as rivers, lakes, wetlands, and peatlands, account for only about 11 million hectares, roughly 4.5% of the 244 million hectares implied by the target.
The report also notes that progress is lopsided geographically, with Asia accounting for 192.2 million hectares, or 76% of the global total. China alone reports 127.4 million hectares, more than half of all documented terrestrial restoration. Africa accounts for 36.3 million hectares, about 14%. Indonesia leads freshwater reporting with roughly 6 million hectares of peatland restoration. Ireland, the Netherlands, the United States, and Tanzania top the marine and coastal list.
Despite the progress made, the report cautions that there is a data gap, with about a quarter of countries reporting no quantitative restoration data under any of the frameworks analysed. Measurement itself is part of the problem, as hectares alone do not capture biodiversity, connectivity, or ecosystem function. The report calls for broader metrics, including in China's large-scale programmes, where restored area is often the headline outcome.
The report also highlights a significant funding gap, with traceable restoration finance reaching about $64 billion in 2022, up 23% from the year before. However, annual investment needs to hit $296 billion by 2030, more than four times current levels, and $448 billion by 2050. Public sources supplied $47 billion, and private sources about $17 billion, with more than two-thirds of the private share flowing through compliance-driven biodiversity offsets and credits.
The report argues for moving from one-off projects to "restoration economies" that sustain ecological recovery, livelihoods, and long-term value. It points to early signs of that shift, with the 35 UN World Restoration Flagships reporting 18 million hectares under restoration and linked to more than 1.1 million jobs and 1.2 million people trained. Outcomes cited include the return of mountain gorillas in East Africa, and the report suggests that restoration could create upwards of 32 million jobs by 2030.
The report also flags a rights gap, with Indigenous Peoples managing or holding tenure rights over at least 3.9 billion hectares, more than a quarter of the world's land surface. However, only two countries, Brazil and Yemen, reported restoration on Indigenous lands in their latest national reports to the biodiversity convention. Secure, recognised tenure supports long-term stewardship, the report says, while unclear or contested tenure can undermine restoration gains.
Key points
- The world needs to triple its current restoration efforts to meet the 2030 target of restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems.
- The report highlights a significant funding gap, with annual investment needing to hit $296 billion by 2030.
- The report argues for moving from one-off projects to "restoration economies" that sustain ecological recovery, livelihoods, and long-term value.
