In response to the increasing and devastating degradation of ecosystems, African leaders committed to restore 100 million hectares by 2030 under the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100). There are many African communities, enterprises and politicians already invested in the movement to restore forest landscapes and ecosystems. Yet, as national ambitions continue to grow, so does the demand for local stakeholders to match these commitments in the field. In order to reverse degradation and achieve nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement, it is crucial to unblock large-scale restoration efforts, include all levels of stakeholders and build on existing achievements on the ground. With the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration in mind, one critical success factor of ecosystem restoration is the transfer of local experience into sustainably funded large-scale concepts.

Successful upscaling requires close exchange, mutual understanding and strong collaboration of various stakeholders. Bridging existing challenges and embracing opportunities will be key to upscale Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) today in order to ensure to ensure that yesterday’s promises are fulfilled tomorrow.
This session discusses challenges, opportunities and achievements of upscaling restoration in Africa with representatives from local organizations, governments, private sector and communities. Restoration champions will share their experiences and achievements with upscaling restoration in order to identify and discuss success mechanisms. Political, financial and community stakeholders will be able to voice and exchange their expectations and contributions to collectively address the challenges they face when upscaling restoration measures.