Nairobi, 4 December 2025 – The UN today recognized the restoration of Australia’s shellfish reefs as a World Restoration Flagship, acknowledged for its Indigenous and local leadership together with The Nature Conservancy and the Ministry for Environment and Water. The Australian achievement – alongside initiatives in Canada and South Africa – 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.”

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 spanning all six states cross southern Australia. 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 are natural solutions to some of our greatest conservation challenges, and Reef Builder has shown that restoring them at a national scale is not only possible—it’s transformative,” said Australia’s Minister for the Environment and Water, Senator the Hon. Murray Watt. “This recognition as a UN World Restoration Flagship highlights Australia’s leadership in marine ecosystem recovery. Reef Builder is delivering real benefits for nature and communities alike; supporting local jobs, strengthening coastal resilience, and revitalising biodiversity along our shorelines.” 

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, filter 125 billion litres of seawater, boost fish stocks to nearly 50 tonnes per year, and has achieved significant biodiversity gains: approximately 250 species of fish and mobile invertebrates have been recorded on the restored reefs to date, compared to 175 species on adjacent sites.

The restoration of 62 hectares of reefs has generated over 425 jobs – more than double than expected – and will generate nearly AUD$14 million per year in ongoing benefits, supporting over 50 small and medium sized businesses. 

This project has brought together over 5000 people and helped forge deep collaboration between many different groups, including Indigenous Traditional owners, fishers, restaurants, scientists, and local communities.

The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) shellfish reef building program is Australia’s largest marine habitat restoration initiative. It aims to rebuild 60 shellfish reefs by 2030, restoring 30% of their original locations and helping to recover an ecosystem from possible extinction. Shellfish reefs, comprising oysters, mussels and clams, are ‘ecosystem engineers’ that enhance coastal water quality, fish stocks, biodiversity and human connection to the ocean. 

The IUCN has assessed shellfish reefs in southern and eastern Australia as Critically Endangered. These habitats were once abundant across southern Australia’s 8,000 km stretch of coastline, but since the 1800s over 90% have been lost through overharvesting, pollution and disease. This loss in Australia reflects comparable declines globally.

Beginning in 2014, TNC started trialling pilot-scale reefs before progressing to reef arrays up to 20 hectares in size. In 2020, TNC in partnership with the Australian Government launched Reef Builder, the first national-scale shellfish reef restoration initiative. Reef Builder restored shellfish reefs in 13 locations across southern Australia, rebuilding 40.5 hectares of reef. Continuing the momentum of Reef Builder, this flagship focusses on restoring the remaining 39 reefs to achieve the 30% restoration target by 2030, making Australia the first nation to recover a critically-endangered marine ecosystem.

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. 

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. The initiative aims to restore 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 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. The thicket’s revival also sequesters up to eight million tonnes of CO₂ annually, offsetting emissions equivalent to about 20 gas-fired power plants.

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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