Land deforestation is a global problem and requires global solutions. Data from the UN Economic Commission for Europe, Unece, report that deforestation and degradation has already affected more than 2 billion hectares of land worldwide.

Restoring these natural areas is one of the solutions to the current climate emergency, and essential for biodiversity recovery. Data from the International Union for Conservation show that for every dollar spent on forest restoration, there is a $9 return.

Focusing on Agenda 2030, countries in Eastern and Southeastern Europe, such as Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine, have just signed a commitment to restore 4 million hectares of land over the next nine years. 

Named the "Bonn Global Challenge", the project was announced on Tuesday at a meeting organized by Unece and FAO as part of the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration.  

The new project is part of a global effort to achieve the restoration of 350 million degraded hectares by 2030. In the case of Eastern Europe, the ministers of the countries are emphasizing the importance of reaching the goal and thus contributing to the fight against climate change.  

Unece's executive secretary Olga Algayerova stated that such efforts to restore forests is "vital to harness the important benefits that forests generate for ecosystems, economies, societies, and to enhance climate action."  

Source UN News