#Africa - #Rewilding To Restore #Ecosystems

Restoring #ecosystems to benefit #wildlife and human communities

"Rewilding is the large-scale restoration of ecosystems to a point where nature can take care of itself. This approach aims to reinstate natural processes and, where appropriate, responsibly reintroduce ‘extirpated’ (meaning locally extinct) species. These key species are not only crucial to shaping their landscapes and habitats, but also provide essential ecosystem services.

"In Africa, human activities such as #agriculture, #urbanisation, and #deforestation have significantly altered natural landscapes, leading to habitat loss and species decline. African Parks and its partners seek to reverse these trends by reintroducing keystone species – in other words, species that play critical roles in maintaining the structure and function of these ecosystems. Such rewilding efforts also address the urgent need to mitigate climate change. Intact and fully-functioning ecosystems, such as forests and wetlands, act as carbon sinks, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and helping to regulate the global climate. Additionally, rewilding can enhance ecosystem services such as water purification, soil fertility, and #pollination, which are essential for human wellbeing."

Learn more:
https://www.africanparks.org/rewilding-restore-ecosystems

#SolarPunkSunday #Adaptation #ForestRehabilitation #WaterIsLife #SoilIsLife #Reforestation #NatureBasedSolutions

How #LandRestoration is strengthening #ecosystems and #communities across #Africa

June 16, 2025

"Across Africa, land degradation and #ClimateChange are converging to create a growing crisis. Unsustainable land use, #deforestation and #SoilErosion have left millions of hectares barren, stripping communities of the natural resources they rely on. Meanwhile, the impacts of climate change – shifting rainfall patterns, rising temperatures and more frequent #droughts and #floods – are compounding pressures on #agriculture and water resources.

"Today, an estimated 65 percent of Africa's land is impacted by land degradation and drought, affecting more than 400 million people and causing economic losses exceeding US$70 billion each year.

"Governments across the continent are increasingly prioritizing land restoration as a national and regional imperative by pioneering policies, partnerships and investments to reverse degradation and strengthen #ClimateChangeAdaptation and #resilience. This brings tangible benefits for both people and nature, helping to secure food systems, create economic opportunities and strengthen communities against #ClimateShocks.

With support from the Global Environment Facility’s Least Developed Countries Fund and UNDP, #Ethiopia, #Rwanda and #Senegal are transforming degraded landscapes into a source of stability and productivity, their experience offering a replicable model for other nations confronting similar challenges."

Learn more:
https://climatepromise.undp.org/news-and-stories/how-land-restoration-strengthening-ecosystems-and-communities-across-africa

#SolarPunkSunday #FoodSecurity #Adaptation #TerraceGardening #ForestRehabilitation #WaterIsLife #SoilIsLife #Reforestation #NatureBasedSolution