Ecosystem restoration has moved beyond a general environmental aspiration and become a strategic necessity in the face of land degradation, water scarcity, food insecurity and rising climate risks. At the midpoint of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, one question becomes central: whether ongoing actions are sufficiently guided by evidence that is useful for decision-making.
An analysis shared by Forests News and linked to CIFOR-ICRAF’s work argues that evidence must be present at every stage of restoration: diagnosis, design, implementation, monitoring, learning and adjustment. Measuring planted trees or hectares under intervention is not enough; it is also necessary to understand whether actions improve soils, water, biodiversity, livelihoods, income, nutrition, market access and local capacities.
The first recommendation is to strengthen adaptive management. Restoration is not the execution of a fixed recipe, but a process of learning in the territory and adjusting decisions with data. In experiences such as Regreening Africa, joint reflection and learning missions brought together community knowledge, partner experience and scientific evidence to modify practices, include native species in nurseries or respond to data on soil health.
The second line of action is to broaden the evidence base. Biophysical indicators, such as species, vegetation cover, soil quality or animal diversity, must be connected with social and economic indicators. Restoration fails when it is separated from those who use, care for or depend on the landscape. Indigenous knowledge, local knowledge and practical field experience must therefore also be considered.
The analysis also points to the responsibilities of donors and investors. Many projects are designed with short timeframes and rigid frameworks, while restoration requires long periods, sustained follow-up and the ability to adapt. Funders can improve impact if they allow adjustments during implementation, support long-term monitoring and recognize that learning is also part of the result.
Another recommendation is to strengthen multi-stakeholder platforms capable of discussing locally relevant evidence. Governments, communities, researchers, producers, civil society organizations and cooperation partners need safe spaces to share data, debate obstacles and build solutions. Restoration depends not only on technical information, but also on trust, facilitation, agreements and coordination capacities.
For Fundación Argentina ASE, this agenda connects with a central idea: environment, production and territorial development must be organized through information, institutions and participation. In southern, South American and emerging countries, ecosystem restoration can improve climate resilience, employment, water, biodiversity and rootedness, provided interventions are not cosmetic and are not imposed without reading local realities.
The challenge for the second half of the decade is to move from isolated projects to learning systems. This means investing in capacities to collect, analyze and interpret data; institutionalizing a culture of evidence; and designing public policies that can correct course. Restoring ecosystems is not mechanically returning to the past: it is building healthier, more productive and more resilient landscapes through shared knowledge.
