CIFOR-ICRAF AND FAO AND STAKEHOLDERS SUPPORT VIET NAM IN ESTABLISHING INDICATORS TO MONITOR AND ASSESS BIODIVERSITY RESTORATION

With aim to implement the recommendations suggested by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity as well as to support Viet Nam in establishing indicators to monitor and assess biodiversity restoration in line with the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), co-organize a consultation meeting with stakeholders from June 26th - 28th, 2024.

There are about 40 participants attended the meeting, among them are representatives from the Department of Nature Conservation and Biodiversity, the Center for Investigation, Information and Data on Environment and Biodiversity - Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Department of Forestry, the Department of Forestry - Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, national parks and conservation areas, research institutes, universities, biodiversity experts as well as national and international organizations.

At the meeting, CIFOR-ICRAF, as a scientific partner and member of the working group on monitoring Target 2 (Ecosystem Restoration) of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework, has introduced the Target 2 in supporting four pilot countries (Peru, Burkina Faso, Kenya and Viet Nam) to address critical data and information gaps in restoration monitoring, support target setting for national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) to submit to COP 16, and highlight successful restoration projects to draw lessons for stakeholders by developing case studies.

At the same time, FAO, as the leader of the working group, briefed the participants of the Biodiversity Framework, especially Target 2 - Restore 30% of all Degraded Ecosystems: Ensure that by 2030 at least 30 per cent of areas of degraded terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine ecosystems are under effective restoration, in order to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, ecological integrity and connectivity.

Also at this meeting, FAO and ICRAF introduced to stakeholders a handbook and tools for parties monitoring Goal 2. The handbook consists of three main parts: (i) Lessons from Aichi, the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and other global ecosystem restoration initiatives; (ii) Integrating Goal 2 into National Biodiversity Targets and National Biodiversity Strategy (NBSAP); (iii) Operationalizing ecosystem restoration.

Participants also listened to Dr. Nguyen Xuan Dung, Head of the Department of Ecology and Natural Landscape, Department of Nature Conservation and Biodiversity (BCNA), under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, present policies, actions and prospects for ecosystem restoration in Viet Nam. The presentation outlined some priority directions in the coming time of BCNA in realizing the second goal of ecosystem restoration. This meeting is an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss and work in groups to have an overview and operation of the Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring Framework (FERM) and explore the system's interoperability. In addition, this is also an opportunity to understand the institutions, structures and policies in ecosystem restoration and cross-sectoral solutions. Stakeholders will also discuss the challenges and training needs, capacity building in the implementation of ecosystem restoration goals as well as identify areas where restoration initiatives are underway, and test and identify tools for monitoring ecological and socio-economic indicators. Train national stakeholders on Restoration monitoring, planning tools such as SEPAL or Regreening Africa (a program in which CIFOR-ICRAF is one of the key partners). The meeting also focuses on updating the status and needs of implementation planning, funding and monitoring.

Through this meeting, CIFOR-ICRAF and FAO expect to gather input from stakeholders on the guidance document for the implementation of Target 2 of the GBF, establishing a list of indicators relevant to ecosystem restoration in the context of Target 2, discuss mechanisms for integrating national biodiversity monitoring indicators into the GBF, and compile information on areas under restoration from stakeholders.