Ecosystem Restoration

In this self-paced course you will learn to develop a step-by-step ecosystem restoration plan and apply effective restoration solutions in your national and subnational context.

About this course

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2021-2030 as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The UN Decade is a universal call for the protection and revival of ecosystems around the world, for the benefit of people and nature.

UN Member States have committed to building synergies between existing ecosystem conservation and restoration commitments and initiatives, like the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The post-2020 global biodiversity framework will be adopted at the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP 15) in Kunming, China and will lead the way to achieving the CBD 2050 Vision of “Living in Harmony with Nature.”

Ecosystem restoration is essential to achieve the 2050 Vision and reverse the trend of biodiversity decline. Are you interested in joining this global movement to restore our natural world? Do you want to become more skilled at preventing, halting, and reversing the degradation of ecosystems? Are you looking to create a step-by-step action plan for ecosystem restoration in your country?

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are offering a FREE two-part Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Ecosystem Restoration. This course is available thanks to the generous support of the European Union and the Korea Forest Service of the Government of the Republic of Korea through the Forest Ecosystem Restoration Initiative (FERI). This course compiles research from leading institutions engaged in ecosystem restoration and experts in the field to raise awareness and build ecosystem restoration capacity.

 

Course details

Learning mode
Type
Short course
Duration
8 weeks
Time investment
3-5 hours per module
Starting date
September

What you’ll learn

By the time you complete Part 1 of this course, you will be able to:

  • Define ecosystem restoration and explain its importance
  • Outline the types of ecosystems and ecosystem services
  • Explain approaches to and principles of restoration
  • Place restoration in the context of large-scale initiatives and agreements

By the time you complete Part 2 of this course, you will be able to:

  • Understand how stakeholder participation and inclusive and gender-responsive planning are critical to your restoration project
  • Understand the steps and activities involved in developing a plan for ecosystem restoration
  • Tailor your restoration plan based on real-world examples
  • Conceptualize the application of the Short-Term Action Plan on Ecosystem Restoration in your context

Course partners

Course outline

Part 1: Introduction to ecosystem restoration (19 September — 9 October 2022)

  • Week 1: Introduction to ecosystem restoration
  • Week 2: Assessment of opportunities and priorities for restoration
  • Week 3: Legal, policy and governance aspects

Part 2: Applying ecosystem restoration interventions (17 October — 20 November 2022)

  • Week 1: Strategic planning processes
  • Week 2: Cost-benefit analysis, accounting processes and resource mobilization
  • Week 3: Selection and implementation of restoration interventions
  • Week 4: Monitoring and evaluation
  • Week 5: Capacity building and development

Requirements

No prerequisites