Collaborative Efforts for Forest Restoration: Resilient Landscapes and Planète Urgence
Introduction to the Partnership
CIFOR-ICRAF has a mission to catalyze the transition to more biodiverse and sustainable landscapes. Resilient Landscapes, a branch of CIFOR-ICRAF dedicated to impact investment, supports ambitious players in their action to restore natural resources. The NGO Planète Urgence, with a portfolio of around 4000/ha per year in native ecosystem restoration, sought the science-based guidance of CIFOR-ICRAF through Resilient Landscapes and gave birth to a particularly synergetic partnership of science and action.
Assessment Methodology and Findings
As part of a project led by Planète Urgence, a French NGO, Resilient Landscapes, a flagship initiative of CIFOR-ICRAF, conducted a collection and analysis of extensive datasets for the countries of Ecuador, Benin, Madagascar, and Indonesia to identify priority areas for forest restoration.
The objective of Resilient Landscapes’ assessment was to identify where to prioritize restoration efforts in the four target countries. The ambition was to map out where NbS investors or project holders like Planète Urgence could focus the activities of restoration of degraded areas to have a positive impact on biodiversity and climate. More specifically, the study mapped out potential areas for conservation or restoration based on biophysical elements; defined key issues surrounding these areas including characteristics and challenges; and identified the projects and local players, as well as the areas of conservation and restoration activities to date.
For each one of the four countries, Resilient Landscapes identified two scenarios of forest restoration priorities, basing them on the importance of the biodiversity present, security factors, and climate change vulnerability. In the example of Indonesia, under scenario 1, the study identified 33 areas that cover approximately 29,000 km² with the largest area (5000 km²) located on the coast of North Kalimantan, an area that has seen significant mangrove degradation. Scenario 2 identified 107 areas that cover approximately 42,000 km². In addition, a variety of areas were discovered on several islands of the country with the largest area (2900 km²) on Rawa di Pesisir Kapuas on the coast of West Kalimantan, an area of swamp, peatlands, and mangroves.
The Importance of Science-Based Investments
The collaboration with Planète Urgence has allowed Resilient Landscapes to leverage scientific data to identify where ecosystem restoration via NbS investments and energy could bring important impact for nature and climate. Stéphane Perrier, Resilient Landscapes’ Global Lead, emphasized that “project developers with a strong ambition for quality are science’s best allies in promoting evidence-based landscape investments. When action is based on knowledge, the resulting investments increase their impact and reduce their risks. At a time when funding for nature is in short supply and we can’t afford to invest badly, this is vitally important.”
In April 2024, a dedicated webinar was organized by Planète Urgence to present the country studies stressing the importance of science in delivering impact for NbS. Amandine Hersant underlined, “We all have little time and limited resources to restore, repair, and protect biodiversity, and forests in particular. This means that we need to select priority areas for intervention. That is why the assessment conducted by Resilient Landscapes needs to be spread to all relevant actors to enhance collaboration and impact capacities of all actors.”
Studies on priority restoration areas for the 4 countries can be accessed below.
Study on priority restoration areas: Ecuador
Study on priority restoration areas: Benin
About Resilient Landscapes
Resilient Landscapes is a CIFOR-ICRAF venture created to spur large scale impact investment in Nature-based Solutions. Acting as a bridge between science and the private sector, Resilient Landscapes inserts the knowledge of CIFOR-ICRAF’s 800+ international staff into high-impact, bankable project designs.
About Planète Urgence
Planète Urgence is an international solidarity NGO founded in 2000 and recognized as being of public utility. It works to empower men and women to preserve forests and biodiversity, because the NGO is convinced that Taking action for the forest means reconciling human beings with the planet in the long term. Through volunteer and skills-building schemes, awareness-raising actions and forest preservation and restoration projects, its mission is to enable each and every one of us to play a greater role in bringing about change within our communities, by relying on forests and biodiversity. Planète Urgence is operating in 7 countries with around 100 staff and a network of 88local NGOs and a member of Groupe SOS.
Contact:
Nevena Bakalar, Partnerships and Engagement Lead, Resilient Landscapes, CIFOR-ICRAF ( n.bakalar@cifor-icraf.org )
Léa Cousin, Communications Officer, Planète Urgence ( lea.cousin@planete-urgence.org )