Just 252 million hectares of the 1 billion hectares pledged for global ecosystem restoration have been documented as under restoration, leaving countries far behind their 2030 biodiversity targets.
Only a quarter of the 1 billion hectares pledged for ecosystem restoration worldwide has been documented as under restoration, according to a new United Nations report. The assessment warns that countries must significantly accelerate their efforts to meet global biodiversity targets by 2030.
The report titled Nature’s Comeback Scaling Ecosystem Restoration for People and Planet found that approximately 252 million hectares are currently under restoration. It evaluates progress midway through the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030) and measures efforts against the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which calls for at least 30 per cent of degraded terrestrial, freshwater, marine and coastal ecosystems to be under effective restoration by 2030.
Based on data from 149 countries covering 12.1 billion hectares of land, the assessment highlights a significant gap between global commitments and actual implementation.
The report also underlines the potential benefits of restoration. Restoring 15 per cent of priority areas worldwide could capture carbon equivalent to 30 per cent of the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide since the Industrial Revolution and prevent 60 per cent of expected species extinctions. Expanding agroforestry could also improve food security for an estimated 1.3 billion people.
Land restoration dominates global efforts
Terrestrial ecosystems account for the overwhelming majority of documented restoration, covering approximately 232 million hectares, or 92 per cent of the global total.
Freshwater ecosystems account for around 11 million hectares, or 4 per cent, while marine and coastal ecosystems represent just 5.7 million hectares approximately 2 per cent. Another 3.2 million hectares have been reported without a specific ecosystem classification.
Asia leads global restoration efforts, with around 185 million hectares documented as under restoration. Africa accounts for 33.7 million hectares.
China alone has reported 127.4 million hectares under restoration, equivalent to 13.5 per cent of its land area and 54 per cent of the terrestrial restoration documented worldwide.
Freshwater and marine ecosystems remain neglected
Despite experiencing some of the highest rates of degradation, freshwater and marine ecosystems account for only a small share of documented restoration activities.
Across 62 countries, approximately 11 million hectares of freshwater ecosystems were reported as under restoration. Asia accounted for 7.1 million hectares, including 6 million hectares of peatland restoration in Indonesia. Africa and Europe reported 1.9 million and 1.8 million hectares, respectively.
The report estimates that 63 per cent of the world’s remaining freshwater wetlands are degraded. Pollution, excessive resource extraction, changes in natural water flows, habitat destruction, invasive species and climate change continue to put pressure on these ecosystems.
Marine and coastal environments face similarly serious challenges. An estimated 60–66 per cent of these ecosystems are degraded, unsustainably used or affected by cumulative human pressures.
Between 75 million and 199 million tonnes of plastic have accumulated in the oceans, affecting at least 267 species, including marine turtles and mammals. Around 59 per cent of the ocean is experiencing increasing cumulative human impacts, while only about 3 per cent remains relatively intact.
The 5.7 million hectares of marine and coastal ecosystems documented as under restoration represent approximately 23 per cent of the estimated 25 million hectares required under the biodiversity framework’s restoration target. However, limited data makes it difficult to assess which marine and coastal habitats are actually being restored.
Documented restoration does not guarantee recovery
The report cautions that an area classified as being under restoration does not necessarily mean its ecosystem has recovered. The figures reflect locations where restoration activities have been documented, rather than proof of successful ecological recovery.
Incomplete reporting, particularly for freshwater and marine ecosystems, and differences in national monitoring methods make it difficult to establish the true scale of progress.
Meanwhile, ecosystem degradation continues across the world. More than 1.56 billion hectares of land, representing over 15 per cent of the global land surface, remain degraded.
Since 1970, approximately 384 million hectares of freshwater ecosystems have been lost, while wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests. A 2024 survey covering more than 400 wetlands across 80 countries found that 63 per cent were in poor or fair condition.
Although annual deforestation has declined from 17.6 million hectares in the 1990s to 10.9 million hectares between 2015 and 2025, forest loss remains a concern.
Astrid Schomaker, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, stressed that restoration cannot succeed while the underlying causes of environmental destruction continue. She called on governments to tackle the drivers of ecosystem degradation and strengthen monitoring systems to ensure restoration efforts deliver lasting results.
The report makes clear that meeting global biodiversity targets will require more than announcing restoration commitments. Countries must accelerate implementation, improve monitoring and ensure that restored ecosystems genuinely recover.