Nature restoration
Without nature there is no future
Halting and reversing biodiversity loss has never been more urgent. Healthy ecosystems are the foundation of all life on earth, directly influencing the well-being of our planet and ourselves.
This decade must mark a turning point for nature, where we recognise its critical value and set it on the path to recovery. It’s time to transform our world into one where people, economies, and nature thrive together.
BirdLife is leading this charge, from advocating for new, ground-breaking EU laws to supporting major restoration initiatives led by our Partners on the ground. Our focus goes beyond preserving the little nature we have left, our goal is to actively restore what has been lost.
Because without nature there is no future.
Our work
Advocacy for nature restoration
At BirdLife, we champion strong, science-based policies at the EU-level to halt biodiversity loss, combat climate change, and secure a sustainable future for both people and nature. We push for strong commitments, like protecting and restoring 30% of the world’s land and seas by 2030, and work to ensure these targets are implemented through effective, legally binding policies across Europe.
A law to restore nature
On 17 June 2024, the EU Nature Restoration Law was adopted. This groundbreaking law aims to restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030 and repair all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050. As the first EU-wide law with legally binding targets for nature restoration, and the most significant since the 1992 Habitats Directive, it delivers on the commitments outlined in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Together with our Partners, BirdLife is now focused on ensuring effective implementation of the law across EU countries.
Connecting nature
Through the Horizon project NaturaConnect, BirdLife is collaborating with a comprehensive team of interdisciplinary scientists and NGOs to close critical gaps in the protection of priority habitats and species across the EU. Our work also strengthens the coherence of the EU’s Natura 2000 network and other nationally designated protected areas, ensuring they work together to safeguard biodiversity and support ecosystem resilience.
Restoring nature in practice
BirdLife Partners are leading efforts on the ground to restore nature and recover essential ecosystem services. These include water purification and storage, storm surge and flood prevention, enhanced pollination, and reduced soil erosion, all crucial benefits that support both biodiversity and human well-being.
At BirdLife, we are more committed than ever to scaling up our Partnership’s collective efforts to protect and restore critical landscapes across the region.
Recovering Nature in the East
Launched in 2022, the Recovering Nature in the East programme strengthens BirdLife Partners in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, enabling them to amplify their conservation impact. This initiative focuses on developing robust protected area networks and advancing large-scale landscape restoration.
Endagered Landscape Programme
From the vibrant grasslands of Georgia to the vital migratory flyways of Bulgaria, BirdLife Partners are at the forefront of ambitious restoration efforts funded by the Endangered Landscape Programme. These large-scale projects are transforming degraded ecosystems into thriving habitats, ensuring a brighter future for biodiversity.
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 | Stichting BirdLife Europe gratefully acknowledges financial support from the European Commission. All content and opinions expressed on these pages are solely those of Stichting BirdLife Europe. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains. |
