Nairobi, 4 December 2025 – The UN today recognized the restoration of South Africa’s thicket in Eastern Cape as a World Restoration Flagship. South Africa’s achievement – alongside initiatives in Australia and Canada – was announced ahead of the 7th UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-7), boosting agrifood systems, biodiversity and global climate goals. 

Jointly led by UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the awards are announced under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030). The World Restoration Flagships represent some of the most ambitious, science-based, and inclusive examples of restoration in action.

“One hectare at a time, governments, communities and partners are restoring forests, grasslands, shrublands, coastlines and marine environments,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “By combining lessons from Indigenous Peoples with modern science, we are restoring damaged ecosystems. One hectare at a time."

Thicket Restoration Movement in South Africa

One of South Africa’s most biodiverse yet neglected ecosystem is the native subtropical thicket. Thicket Restoration in South Africa unites over 60 initiatives across the country’s Eastern Cape by building on best practices, connecting the public and private sectors to bolster restoration. Made through Portulacaria afra (spekboom) planting, this restoration flagship aims at a transformational rehabilitation of 800,000 ha by 2030. 

Restoring thicket makes the soil more resilient, stores carbon and serves as fodder storage for large livestock and other large mammals during droughts, a high priority for a region that experienced its worst drought in 100 years in 2023 and 2024. 

It also provides a safe habitat for various native browser species, including black rhinos and African elephants, responding to long-term threats. Planting native species, clearing invasive plants, and benefiting the country’s inclusive and gender-sensitive green economy: training communities in restoration is expected to create more than 1,000 rural jobs, and indirectly improve the livelihoods of around two million people, for example through improved ecosystem services. 

Supporting climate vulnerable communitie, the thicket’s revival also sequesters up to eight million tonnes of CO₂ annually, offsetting emissions equivalent to about 20 gas-fired power plants.

“The efforts that have been put into spekboom restoration will benefit future generations. We are banking for the long term,” said Luyanda Luthuli, a landscape practitioner of Living Lands, one of the organizations forming the initiative. “I am excited and hopeful for the future and for seeing the fruits of our labor towards restoring ecosystems, restoring resilience.”

Reef Builder: Restoring Shellfish Reefs in Australia

Australia’s once-abundant shellfish reefs – comprising oysters and mussels – have become critically endangered by overharvesting, sedimentation, and pollution, among other things. Between 2021and 2023, The Nature Conservancy and the Australian Government, in partnership with local communities, embarked on the Reef Builder programme to rebuild these vital coastal ecosystems at 13 locations around the southern coastline. The Nature Conservancy continues this partnership-based work to restore native shellfish reefs across 30 per cent of their original locations around Australia’s expansive coast by 2030.

Shellfish reefs serve as natural ecosystem engineers, purifying water and providing habitat for hundreds of marine species. Since the initiative’s launch, it has helped remove nearly 15 tonnes of nutrient pollution, boost fish stocks, and has achieved significant biodiversity gains. 

The restoration initiative has generated over 425 jobs – more than double than expected – and will generate nearly USD$10 million per year in ongoing benefits, supporting over 50 small and medium sized businesses through collaboration between many different groups, including Indigenous Traditional owners, fishers, restaurants, scientists, and local communities.

Respectful Returns: Restoring Resilience to Salmon Ecosystems in Canada

Many salmon populations are in peril in Canada, with significant economic and cultural consequences – salmon hold profound spiritual value in Canada, particularly for Indigenous communities. Since 2010, Parks Canada has collaborated with Indigenous Peoples as well as local communities on the Respectful Returns initiative, which focuses on restoring damaged rivers and streams in seven national parks along Canada’s Pacific and Atlantic coasts.  

By using new tools, sharing knowledge, and working together, the project has helped restore over 65,000 hectares (ha) of land and 228 kilometers of waterways with the goal of protecting salmon and their habitats, while strengthening connections between people and nature. Respectful Returns has also created more than 100 jobs, supported research at three universities, and built strong partnerships with 32 organizations and communities. In six out of the seven sites, salmon numbers have already increased. 

Restoring ecosystems, restoring resilience 

These three new World Restoration Flagships add to a growing portfolio of 27 already recognized flagships since 2022, collectively restoring over 18 million ha of diverse ecosystems worldwide, with plans to restore a total of more than 68 million ha.

The success of multiple ecosystem restoration initiatives highlights a central message of UNEA-7: restoring ecosystems is an essential pathway to strengthen resilience for people and nature, ensuring they thrive in tandem.

Notes to Editors

About the UN World Restoration Flagships

Countries have already promised to 1 billion hectares – an area larger than China – as part of their commitments to the Paris climate agreement, the targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Land Degradation Neutrality targets and the Bonn Challenge. However, little is known about the progress or quality of this restoration. With the World Restoration Flagships, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is honouring the best examples of large-scale and long-term ecosystem restoration in any country or region, embodying the 10 Restoration Principles of the UN Decade. Progress of all World Restoration Flagships will be transparently monitored through the Framework for Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring, the UN Decade’s platform for keeping track of global restoration efforts.

About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. 

About the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. It aims to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active healthy lives. With over 194 Members, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

For more information, please contact: 

News and Media Unit, UN Environment Programme
Newsroom, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

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