October 2015: Published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), ‘Global Guidelines for the Restoration of Degraded Forests and Landscapes in Drylands’ provides specific guidance for both policy-makers and practitioners, with recommended actions illustrated by 27 case studies demonstrating a breadth of experiences in dryland restoration.
The publication offers guidance targeted at decision makers, addressing: enabling and investing in assessment and monitoring; addressing drivers of land degradation by engaging in cross-sectoral dialogue and planning at the landscape level; enabling and investing in capacity assessment and development; improving the supply of, and access to, plant reproductive material for restoration; improving the governance and policy framework, including secure land tenure; creating the right conditions for investment and resource mobilization for restoration; and encouraging knowledge, research, learning and experimentation.
The report’s guidance for practitioners focuses on: planning and choosing the most cost-effective restoration strategies, including involving communities; protecting and managing ecosystems, including soil and water sources; promoting natural regeneration; and planting where and when necessary. The publication also includes chapters on: the key challenges affecting drylands and the importance of forests and trees and their restoration as a means of addressing those challenges; key aspects of the monitoring and evaluation of dryland restoration initiatives, including the FAO Monitoring and Reporting Tool for Forest and Landscape Restoration; and the way forward, including key next steps and opportunities for promoting implementation of the guidelines and operationalization on the ground. Twenty-seven case studies are presented to demonstrate the breadth of experiences in dryland restoration, and also illustrate the actions recommended in the guidelines.
The publication is an output of the Drylands Restoration Initiative, which was launched by FAO at the request of member countries and in collaboration with a wide range of partners. [Publication: Global Guidelines for the Restoration of Degraded Forests and Landscapes in Drylands: Building Resilience and Benefiting Livelihoods]