Ecological restoration has a great potential to address a wide set of biodiversity and climate challenges and young scholars and professionals play an important role, particularly in the global south.
Presently there are calls for rather massive investment in nature’s capacity to capture and store carbon. Given this pressure, we need to ensure that restoration does not just emphasize carbon with the result that in many areas we end up with large monocultures of fast growing trees, clear targets with prioritizing ecosystem integrity and functions, with appropriate safeguards for biodiversity, human rights and rights of indigenous peoples and local communities must be given.
Nature is deeply intertwined with and influenced by social, economic, and political forces; therefore, nuanced understandings of dynamic people-nature relationships are crucial to inform restoration activities that can support positive ecological outcomes alongside social well-being.
Urban areas often have the incentives, resources and knowledge enabling local governments to take the lead in developing new innovative methods and technology for successful restoration in challenging severely degraded sites, as well as developing inclusive methods for participatory restoration, incorporating social and cultural dimensions in restoration activities.

Video: Session 5: Young Scholars and Professionals Session: Ecological Restoration - framing challenges and opportunities

Video: Session 5: SDG Labs - Biodiversity-Solutions for Change

Short Report

The session on the biodiversity-based SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) Labs brought together groups from multiple geographical locations and their plan of action in moving forward towards sustainable transformations. Dr Armine Abrahamyan (Armenian National Agrarian University, Armenia) discussed innovative mixed-cropping systems in Armenia and promoting biodiversity data digitization for awareness and better decision making. Adding to the discussion on the importance of awareness, Dr Bixia Chen (University of the Ryukyus, Japan) presented her work from Southern Japan on encouraging home garden food production for food security and on managing trees as windbreaks. This was followed by a discussion on the implementation of ecotourism in coastal regions of Madagascar by Dr Ntsiva Andriatsitohaina (ESSA-Forêts, Université d’Antananarivo, Madagascar).

Following this, Dr Jintana Kawasaki (Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Japan) highlighted the role of traditional agroforestry systems in Japan for livelihoods and biodiversity conservation. She emphasised the importance of capacity building and creating awareness of these systems. Similarly, Mr. Jason Lee (Southwest Forestry University, China) suggested the significance of forest-tea ecosystems for livelihoods and biodiversity conservation. Dr Ismael Ocen (Ocean One Social Research Centre, Uganda) stressed the role of pastoralists in habitat conservation and therefore emphasised on protecting their livelihoods during extreme events such as drought. Lastly, the session chair, Dr Marcin Jarzebski (University of Tokyo, Japan) summarised the solutions proposed by the SDG groups.

Event short reports by By Shivani Krishna and Debapriyo Chakraborty.

SDGs Addressed

Video: Closing Session

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