By Kimuri Mwangi
Regional leaders and biodiversity experts have called on countries to fast-track the restoration of degraded ecosystems, stressing that restoration pledges must be supported by robust monitoring, reporting and data-driven implementation.
The call was made during the Subregional Workshop on Biodiversity Monitoring and Reporting in relation to Target 2 of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). The meeting, running from January 27th to 30th in Nairobi, was convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Speaking at the opening session, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Dr Deborah Mulongo Barasa, emphasised the need to translate restoration commitments into measurable results. She said ecosystem restoration is critical in tackling biodiversity loss, climate change and advancing sustainable development, but cautioned that progress cannot be demonstrated without credible monitoring and reporting systems.
“Restoration is about giving nature a chance to recover and, in doing so, protecting livelihoods, securing water, supporting food production, and building resilience to climate change. But restoring ecosystems is not enough. We also need to be able to explain what we are doing, show what is working, and learn from what is not. The next few years will determine whether restoration commitments become reality or remain promises on paper,” said Dr Barasa.
RCMRD Governing Council Chairperson and Zambia’s Permanent Secretary for Lands and Natural Resources, Patrick Mucheleka, echoed the call, highlighting the importance of subregional cooperation in meeting global biodiversity targets. He noted that although countries operate in different ecological and socio-economic contexts, many face similar constraints, including limited data, technical capacity and reporting challenges.
“Across our region, we all face similar challenges, land under pressure, ecosystems that are stretched, and communities that depend directly on nature for their livelihoods. We also share the same responsibility: to turn our restoration commitments into real action,” Mucheleka said.
In a video message, the Convention on Biological Diversity Executive Secretary, Astrid Schomaker, underscored the role of partnerships in addressing the interconnected crises of biodiversity loss, land degradation, climate change, and pollution.
“We need all hands on deck. The world needs a whole-of-government and whole-of-society acceleration in the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework,” said Schomaker.
The workshop brought together policymakers and technical experts from 11 Eastern and Southern African countries to accelerate implementation of Target 2 of the KMGBF, which aims to ensure that, by 2030, at least 30 per cent of degraded terrestrial, inland water, coastal, and marine ecosystems are under effective restoration. Participating countries included Comoros, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia.
The meeting also marked the official launch of RCMRD’s role as a Subregional and Technical Scientific Cooperation Support Centre, alongside the establishment of its Steering Committee. In this capacity, RCMRD will support countries in Eastern and Southern Africa by providing coordinated scientific, technical and data-driven assistance to advance implementation of the KMGBF.
“With its new role as a Subregional Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centre, RCMRD is ready to support countries with the data, tools, and coordination needed to deliver on Target 2,” said RCMRD Director General Dr Emmanuel Nkurunziza.
Participants also included representatives from the four other Subregional Technical and Scientific Cooperation Support Centres in Africa: the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC), the Ecological Monitoring Centre (CSE), the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).
