UN report: 252M hectares restored, but 2030 biodiversity goals still out of reach

A UN report published Thursday reveals countries are currently restoring 252 million hectares of nature, a record level, yet this remains insufficient to meet global 2030 biodiversity targets. The restoration, spanning 149 countries, covers 232 million hectares of land, 11 million of inland waters, and 5.7 million of marine and coastal areas. However, freshwater and marine ecosystems, which are degrading rapidly, remain far behind their goals, while terrestrial restoration has reached half its target. To meet the goal of restoring one billion hectares, the report states restoration efforts must triple, requiring significantly increased funding, especially from the private sector. China leads terrestrial restoration with 137 million hectares, followed by Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Ethiopia.