Workshop Rationale
This workshop had two main objectives:
(i) to provide background information about the Bonn Challenge, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and ECCA30, and
(ii) to gather input for a study on forest landscape restoration in East and South-Eastern Europe.
These objectives were reached through:
- Exchange of experiences on forest landscape restoration and degradation in participating countries;
- Discuss strategies and approaches for unlocking financial resources required for restoration;
- Inform national experts responsible for forest landscape restoration about regional and international opportunities, with a special focus on a high-level meeting planned for 2020;
- Brief participants about the process of country commitments under the Bonn Challenge and the support UNECE/FAO can provide.
During the meeting, the potential for forest landscape restoration at a national level and the commitment process were discussed along with needs and priorities of participating countries. Countries had the opportunity to get clarifications from forest landscape restoration experts, researchers and the UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section.
Agenda
The preliminary agenda is available in English, Serbian and Russian.
Meeting venue
Hotel M, Bul. Oslobođenja 56a, 11000 Belgrade.
Meeting hours
Monday 16 Dec 2019 9:00-17:30
Tuesday 17 Dec 2019 9:00-17:30
Field trip
The field trip took place on the second day of the workshop. A bus took the participants to nearby Kovilje, where state-owned enterprise "Vojvodinašume" provided a tour showcasing an example of previously degraded land that has since been afforested. Refreshments were provided.
What is the Bonn Challenge?
The Bonn Challenge, launched in 2011 and extended by the 2014 New York Declaration on Forests, is a global effort to bring 150 million hectares of deforested and degraded land into restoration by 2020 and 350 million ha by 2030. The Bonn Challenge serves as an open, voluntary and flexible discussion and exchange platform for concrete action and cooperation to facilitate the implementation of forest landscape restoration. To date 62 contributors have pledged more than 170 Mha to the Bonn Challenge. It is an implementation vehicle for national priorities such as water and food security and rural development while contributing to the achievement of international climate change, biodiversity and land degradation commitments. Underlying the Bonn Challenge is the forest landscape restoration (FLR) approach, which aims to restore ecological integrity while improving human well-being through multifunctional landscapes.
UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
The UN declared 2021-2030 the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration this bears an unparalleled opportunity to scale up forest restoration efforts while creating jobs and combating climate change.