Ecosystem restoration is essential to tackling biodiversity loss, climate change and food insecurity. Yet, successful restoration depends not only on repairing nature, but also on recognising the people who have cared for it for generations. Indigenous Peoples and local communities play a vital role in protecting and managing lands, waters and natural resources, drawing on generations of knowledge and experience. However, their contributions and rights are not always adequately recognised in restoration efforts.

Ecosystem Restoration with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities: A Practical Guide provides practical guidance for restoration practitioners on how to work alongside these communities in ways that respect their rights, value their knowledge, involve them in decision-making and ensure they share fairly in the benefits of restoration. Drawing on more than 40 interviews, over 30 case studies and existing research, the guide outlines five key foundations and 13 practical mechanisms to help make restoration more inclusive, equitable and effective, from initial planning through implementation and the sharing of outcomes.

By placing Indigenous Peoples and local communities at the heart of restoration, the guide aims to support approaches that benefit both people and nature, complementing the ecological guidance of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration Standards of Practice.