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 Course type: Self-paced course
 Languages: English, French, Spanish
 Estimated effort: 3-5 hours per module
Duration: 8 modules
 Partners:  United Nations Development Programme, Convention on Biological Diversity,  Korea Forest Service, The European Union, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
Contributors:  Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management, Society for Ecological Restoration, United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, University of Montana, BSC Group, Technische Universität München, Peatland Ecology Research Group, Université Laval, L’Institut Méditerranéen de la Biodiversité et d’Écologie marine et continentale, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)

Contact course coordinator FAQs Part 1 syllabus Part 2 syllabus

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2021-2030 as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The UN Decade is a universal call for the protection and revival of ecosystems around the world, for the benefit of people and nature. 

UN Member States have committed to building synergies between existing ecosystem conservation and restoration commitments and initiatives such as the UN Decade on Restoration , the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted by Parties to the CBD in December 2022.  The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework further commits the global community to restoring degraded ecosystems through clear, measurable goals and targets to address the dangerous loss of biodiversity and safeguarding ecosystem services and functionality, and lead the way to achieving the CBD 2050 Vision of “Living in Harmony with Nature”.

Ecosystem restoration is essential to achieve the 2050 Vision and reverse the trend of biodiversity decline. Are you interested in joining this global movement to restore our natural world? Do you want to become more skilled at preventing, halting, and reversing the degradation of ecosystems? Are you looking to create a step-by-step action plan for ecosystem restoration in your country?

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are offering a FREE two-part self-paced course on Ecosystem Restoration. This course is available thanks to the generous support of the European Union and the Korea Forest Service of the Government of the Republic of Korea through the Forest Ecosystem Restoration Initiative (FERI). This course compiles research from leading institutions engaged in ecosystem restoration and experts in the field to raise awareness and build ecosystem restoration capacity.

About the course

The course serves as an introduction to the Short-Term Action Plan on Ecosystem Restoration (STAPER) — a flexible framework adopted by the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity to support, inter alia, governments in the development and implementation of their national restoration strategies. The course is geared to government representatives interested in creating a blueprint for ecosystem restoration at the national or subnational level, but is open to everyone. The course is available in English, French, and Spanish, and is facilitated by ecosystem restoration experts.

Course highlights and outcomes

• Join a community-of-practice committed to preventing, halting, and reversing the trend of ecosystem degradation
• Explore rich learning materials, diving into detailed content based on your needs
• Learn how to select the most appropriate interventions for your context from a range of restorative practices
• Receive certificates of completion from the course partners for completing Part 1 and Part 2 of the course

Learning objectives

By the time you complete Part 1 of this course, you will be able to:

• Define ecosystem restoration and explain its importance 
• Outline the types of ecosystems and ecosystem services
• Explain approaches to and principles of restoration 
• Place restoration in the context of large-scale initiatives and agreements

By the time you complete Part 2 of this course, you will be able to:

• Understand how stakeholder participation and inclusive and gender-responsive planning are critical to your restoration project
• Understand the steps and activities involved in developing a plan for ecosystem restoration
• Tailor your restoration plan based on real-world examples 
• Conceptualize the application of the Short-Term Action Plan on Ecosystem Restoration in your context 

Course structure

Part 1: Introduction to ecosystem restoration

• Module 1: Introduction to ecosystem restoration
• Module 2: Assessment of opportunities and priorities for restoration
• Module 3: Legal, policy and governance aspects

Part 2: Applying ecosystem restoration interventions

• Module 1: Strategic planning processes
• Module 2: Cost-benefit analysis, accounting processes and resource mobilization
• Module 3: Selection and implementation of restoration interventions
• Module 4: Monitoring and evaluation
• Module 5: Capacity building and development

Course completion certificate

This course offers two certificates of completion from the course partners: one for Part 1 and one for Part 2. You may choose to complete only one part of the course and download the certificate for that part.

To receive a certificate of completion for Part 1, you must:

• Complete all online lessons in Part 1
• Pass three quizzes
• Complete the course survey for Part 1

To receive a certificate of completion for Part 2, you must:

• Complete all online lessons in Part 2
• Pass five quizzes
• Complete the course survey for Part 2

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