Spatial Restoration

Spatial approaches are a key pillar of effective ecosystem restoration. Through the Ecosystem Restoration Integrated Program (ERIP), countries are supported in identifying, accessing, exchanging, and strategically utilizing spatial information to guide effective, targeted, and aligned restoration actions that meet both national and global goals.

Photo credit: © Flavio Forner / Conservation International

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Why Spatial Restoration Matters

Spatial approaches are crucial for understanding how restoration efforts contribute to achieving global climate, biodiversity, and sustainable development goals. In ERIP, spanning 20 countries with diverse ecosystems, governance, and data systems, spatial restoration actions play a vital role in aligning information across scales and supporting a shared vision for impact. They enable transparent reporting, foster cross-country coordination, and provide a common foundation for decision-making. Without spatial tools and information exchange, restoration risks being fragmented, less inclusive, and less effective in the long term.

Photo credits: © Conservation International

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ERIP’s role & strategy

The spatial dimension of restoration helps align diverse country efforts under a shared vision. It offers technical guidance and promotes open-source platforms like Trends.Earth for tracking degradation and restoration, and facilitates exchanges to connect local insights with global frameworks.

By supporting the co-development of national spatial frameworks and promoting interoperability across data systems, ERIP helps countries articulate their progress in ways that are both nationally relevant and globally comparable. Workshops, regional dialogues, and peer exchanges serve as spaces for countries to share lessons, overcome common barriers, and co-create solutions to spatial challenges.  

Photo credits: © Jeremy Holden

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Our Vision for Success

- Spatial data informs decisions at national and program levels across all 20 countries.

- Countries report spatial progress transparently through platforms like Trends.Earth, which is being established as a framework that enables countries to align their data with national and global needs. 

- The exchange of spatial knowledge and the use of shared tools and platforms foster cross-country learning, collaboration, and regional innovation.

- A common foundation of spatial evidence supports national ownership and long-term sustainability.

Photo credit:  © CoAhsan Rabbani

Looking Ahead

Spatial approaches are more than technical; they are a foundation for scaling restoration in inclusive, adaptive, and impactful ways. ERIP is strengthening national capacities and fostering local ownership of spatial systems, ensuring countries can confidently use geospatial data now and in the future.

The spatial framework will deepen regional collaboration through thematic exchanges, case studies, and innovation pilots, building a shared culture of spatial evidence and learning to support more effective and accountable restoration across all 20 countries.

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Resources

Resources

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  • Screenshot 2026 05 20 113712
    Guidelines

    Guidance on other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs)

    The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022, provides a framework for the effective implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) through four goals and 23 targets. Target 3 (known as the ‘30x30 target’) calls on Parties to conserve at least 30% of terrestrial, inland waters, and coastal and marine areas by 2030. These guidelines are designed to promote good practices relating to identifying, reporting, monitoring and strengthening OECMs. They are intended for use by a wide range of rightsholders and stakeholders to promote understanding of whether a site meets the CBD criteria for identifying an OECM, how to report OECM data at the national and global levels, and how to monitor and strengthen OECMs.

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    White Papers

    IUCN WCPA Technical Note No. 23: Integrating Justice into Restoration Practice

    Technical note aiming to provide evidence-based guidance for deepening the incorporation of social justice objectives into restoration projects, including those located in and around protected and conserved areas. In particular, there is strong evidence that highly inclusive and respectful practices - especially those involving local leadership - lead to better ecological and social outcomes. This technical note aims to bridge that gap by summarising lessons learned about promoting just restoration and highlighting opportunities and tools to facilitate these efforts.

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    Policy Briefs

    Quando a Regeneração Natural é uma solução eficaz para restaurar a floresta?

    A regeneração natural é uma solução eficaz quando a área teve baixa intensidade de uso do solo e está próxima de fragmentos florestais, garantindo a chegada de sementes e sucessão sem grandes entraves. É necessário o reconhecimento e aplicação de indicadores e valores de referência para avaliar e monitorar a efetividade da regeneração natural como estratégia de restauração de ecossistemas e de provisão de serviços ecossistêmicos.