Three land-restoration programmes have received United Nations recognition. Their work stretches from Brazil to five Sahel countries and Saudi Arabia. Together, they aim to restore nearly 5 million hectares by 2030 while supporting biodiversity, agriculture and community resilience.
On August 26, 2026, in Ulaanbaatar, UNEP and the FAO announced three new World Restoration Flagships. The recognition highlights work already underway in very different environments.
The projects extend across Brazil’s Cerrado savanna and the drylands of the Sahel. They also cover desert, urban and coastal landscapes in Saudi Arabia.
Their shared principle is straightforward: restore degraded ecosystems with solutions adapted to each place. To do so, programme leaders involve local communities and draw on local knowledge.
Land restoration is already producing results
In the Sahel, the initiative has been active since 2018 in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. It has already placed 335,537 hectares under restoration.
Teams collect water, develop agroforestry and plant native species. Zaï pits and stone bunds retain moisture and encourage soil regeneration.
According to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration platform, more than 4 million people have benefited from the programme. It also supports school meals, nutrition and livelihoods. The goal is to restore 472,000 hectares by 2030.
Methods chosen with local communities
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The Cerrado is one of the world’s most biodiverse tropical savannas. More than 180 organizations there work with Indigenous peoples, local communities, farmers and researchers.
Restoration combines three methods: natural regeneration, direct seeding and agroforestry. Seeds from more than 150 native species also supply a local value chain that brings together collectors, nurseries and technicians.
The UN platform now records 31,000 hectares under restoration. The initiative aims to reach 2 million hectares by 2030. Local economic activity is therefore contributing directly to the preservation of native vegetation.
A global ambition to track over time
In Saudi Arabia, the national programme had placed 1 million hectares under restoration by June 2026. According to UNEP, it had also enabled the planting of 159 million trees.
Its solutions include reforestation, controlled grazing and rainwater harvesting. The programme also relies on reusing treated water and restoring native species.
Together, the three programmes aim to restore nearly 5 million hectares by 2030. This target, however, remains a commitment rather than an achieved result.
The ecological quality of the plantings and the survival of species will therefore need to be monitored. Access to water and the tangible benefits for residents must also be measured. Despite these challenges, the land already under restoration shows that scaling up is possible. To succeed, restoration must connect nature, food and local employment.
Sources: UNEP; UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration — Cerrado; UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration — Sahel.
Photos: A. Duarte and AhmadElq / Wikimedia Commons.
Article written in part with the help of AI.
