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| Atlas of Forest and Landscape Restoration Opportunities | |
|---|---|
| Title | Atlas of Forest and Landscape Restoration Opportunities |
| Caption | Global map of restoration opportunity potential |
| Publisher | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; International Union for Conservation of Nature |
| Date | 2014 (first global edition) |
| Subject | Forest restoration; landscape restoration; conservation planning |
Atlas of Forest and Landscape Restoration Opportunities is a global assessment and mapping initiative published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and partners such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature to identify potential areas for forest and landscape restoration. The project synthesizes spatial data from institutions including the World Resources Institute, United Nations Environment Programme, International Tropical Timber Organization, and the Convention on Biological Diversity to inform targets under international processes like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement. The Atlas aims to support commitments under fora such as the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and initiatives like the Bonn Challenge and the New York Declaration on Forests.
The Atlas emerged from collaborations among agencies including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Wildlife Fund, World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, Global Environment Facility, Convention on Biological Diversity, and research centers such as the CIFOR and IIED. Its framing responds to international agreements such as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, the Sustainable Development Goals, and commitments made at conferences like the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) and the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21). The Atlas integrates datasets produced by entities including the European Space Agency, NASA, NOAA, Global Forest Watch, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, linking to national policy processes in countries like Brazil, Indonesia, India, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Australia, United States, Canada, Russia, and South Africa.
Methodological development drew on tools and standards from institutions such as the World Resources Institute, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Convention on Biological Diversity, Global Environment Facility, and research labs associated with Wageningen University, Oxford University, Harvard University, University of Cambridge, and the National University of Singapore. Spatial layers incorporated remote sensing products from Landsat, Sentinel-2, MODIS, and climate data from IPCC assessments and the WorldClim dataset. Biodiversity overlays referenced the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Key Biodiversity Areas database, and ecoregions defined by WWF. Socioeconomic inputs included cropland maps from the International Food Policy Research Institute, demographic grids from the United Nations Population Division, and land tenure frameworks from FAO country profiles and institutions such as the World Bank. Analytical approaches adapted methods from publications in journals associated with Nature, Science, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The Atlas reports global restoration potential spanning diverse biomes including the Amazon Rainforest, Congo Basin, Boreal forests of Russia, Miombo woodlands, Mesoamerican forests, Indo-Malayan forests, Mediterranean Basin, and Temperate forests of Europe. Maps highlight opportunity areas for carbon sequestration relevant to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reporting, for biodiversity corridors tied to the Convention on Biological Diversity post-2020 framework, and for watershed restoration linked to programs like the Global Water Partnership and the Green Climate Fund. Quantified estimates used methods aligned with the IPCC and informed commitments under the Paris Agreement and initiatives such as the Bonn Challenge's hectare targets. The Atlas identifies synergies with conservation efforts by BirdLife International, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, and regional initiatives like the African Union's Great Green Wall and the European Green Deal.
Country-level assessments were produced for regions and nations including Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, India, Nepal, China, Mongolia, Australia, Canada, United States, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, South Africa, Madagascar, Cuba, Haiti, Bangladesh, and Vietnam. These assessments intersect with national strategies such as Brazil's Nationally Determined Contribution, Indonesia's REDD+ submissions, and regional programs like the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations climate initiatives. Local implementation examples reference projects by organizations including CARE International, Oxfam, World Vision, Rainforest Alliance, and government agencies such as Ministry of Environment (Brazil), Ministry of Environment and Forestry (Indonesia), and Department of Agriculture (Philippines).
The Atlas made available interactive mapping tools built on platforms such as Google Earth Engine, ArcGIS Online, and open-source libraries promoted by OpenStreetMap and QGIS. Visualization and data sharing leveraged standards from the Group on Earth Observations and data infrastructure like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and DataONE. Analytical toolkits drew on models and codebases from academic consortia at University of Oxford, Yale University, Stanford University, and institutes including CIFOR and CSIRO. The project aligned with digital initiatives such as the Global Forest Watch portal and geospatial services by Esri to support planners in agencies like United Nations Development Programme country offices and ministries across Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
Findings informed international target-setting dialogues at forums such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP meetings, the Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties, and the United Nations General Assembly's sustainability agendas. The Atlas supported measurable targets under the Bonn Challenge, Kigali Amendment-linked forestry discussions, and national Nationally Determined Contributions planning. It influenced funding programs run by the Green Climate Fund, Global Environment Facility, World Bank, and philanthropy from entities like the Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Gates Foundation supporting restoration sequencing linked to policies by European Commission and legislative initiatives in parliaments of countries including United Kingdom, United States Congress, and Parliament of India.
Scholars and organizations including researchers at University of Oxford, CIFOR, IIED, World Resources Institute, and civil society groups such as Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace have critiqued aspects of the Atlas, citing concerns about resolution limits from Landsat and MODIS, assumptions about land tenure in countries like Brazil and Indonesia, and socioecological trade-offs documented in studies by Nature and Science. Limitations include coarse-scale mapping for local planning, challenges in integrating Indigenous knowledge as emphasized by bodies like the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and updates needed to reflect newer remote sensing products from Sentinel-2 and revised climate scenarios in IPCC reports. Subsequent iterations and related platforms continue to refine methods in collaboration with institutions such as FAO, IUCN, World Resources Institute, Global Environment Facility, Green Climate Fund, and national governments to better align restoration mapping with Sustainable Development Goals and post-2020 biodiversity targets.
Category:Environmental atlases