Cita: Ghazoul J. and Schweizer D. (eds) (2021) Forests for the future: Restoration success at landscape scale – what will it take and what have we learned? Prince Bernhard Chair Reports (issue 1). Series editors Almond, R.E.A., Grooten, M. and Van Kuijk, M., WWF-Netherlands, Zeist and Utrecht University, Netherlands.
Ecosystems support all life on Earth and there has never been a more urgent need to restore damaged ecosystems than now. It is with this immense challenge that the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration begins, aiming to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. Strengthening connections between conservation science, policy and practice is essential if we are to address these immense challenges, and that is the primary focus of the Prince Bernhard Chair for International Nature Conservation.
We cannot theorize our way to solutions, but we can learn from projects that have already been implemented. To showcase some of this work we have compiled insights from researchers and practitioners at the coalface of forest and ecosystem restoration around the world. They were asked to contribute their perspectives on the greatest opportunities, as well as the most fundamental challenges, that need to be addressed in the coming years. Common themes emerging range from governance and sociocultural norms to capacity building and financing.
As we enter the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, we hope that these contributions, drawing on extensive and diverse experiences of implementing forest and landscape restoration actions, will inspire you and act as a starting point for conversations about how to turn theory into practice.
