Report on Core Competencies for Landscape Restoration in Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: The Global Challenge of Land Degradation

Land degradation represents a significant threat to global environmental and economic stability. Up to 40 percent of the world’s land is classified as degraded, impacting over 3 billion people. This issue directly undermines progress toward several key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• SDG 15 (Life on Land): The degradation of terrestrial ecosystems is a primary driver of biodiversity loss and desertification.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): Degraded lands have a reduced capacity for carbon sequestration, exacerbating climate change.
• SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): The livelihoods and food security of communities dependent on agriculture and natural resources are severely compromised.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Land degradation places a substantial portion of global economic output at risk.

Addressing this challenge requires urgent, large-scale ecosystem restoration, guided by professionals with a specific skill set grounded in science, local knowledge, and collaborative partnerships. Global initiatives such as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and AFR100 have established ambitious targets for restoring millions of hectares by 2030, underscoring the critical need for capacity building.

Essential Skills for Effective Restoration and SDG Achievement

The successful implementation of restoration projects that contribute meaningfully to the SDGs depends on five core competencies. These skills ensure that initiatives are ecologically sound, socially equitable, and economically viable.

1. Project Management

   Effective project management is crucial for navigating the complexity of landscape restoration. It ensures that projects remain on track, are cost-effective, and achieve their intended outcomes. This skill directly supports:

   • SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): By coordinating diverse stakeholders, timelines, and budgets.
   • SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): By ensuring projects are economically viable and deliver tangible benefits.
   • SDG 15 (Life on Land): By providing a structured pathway from restoration commitments to measurable on-the-ground impact.

2. Stakeholder Engagement

   Restoration success is contingent upon inclusive dialogue and collaboration among all relevant parties, including smallholder farmers, Indigenous Peoples, government bodies, and non-governmental organizations. This competency is central to:

   • SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): Building trust and fostering collective action are the cornerstones of this goal.
   • SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): Ensuring that the voices and interests of local and marginalized communities are integrated into the planning process.
   • SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): Facilitating inclusive decision-making processes builds stronger, more resilient community governance.

3. Restoration Planning

   A scientific and data-driven approach to restoration planning is non-negotiable. It involves a thorough assessment of the drivers of degradation, biophysical conditions, and socio-economic contexts to select appropriate interventions like tree planting, natural regeneration, or agroforestry. This analytical skill advances:

   • SDG 15 (Life on Land): By ensuring that restoration methods are ecologically appropriate and build long-term ecosystem resilience.
   • SDG 13 (Climate Action): By selecting strategies that maximize carbon sequestration and climate adaptation benefits.
   • SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): By designing systems like agroforestry that enhance food security while restoring ecological function.

4. Gender, Equity, and Social Inclusion (GESI)

   Integrating GESI principles is fundamental, as the impacts of land degradation and the benefits of restoration are not experienced uniformly. This skill involves analyzing power dynamics and ensuring that processes and outcomes are equitable. It is essential for achieving:

   • SDG 5 (Gender Equality): By actively involving women in decision-making and ensuring they benefit from restoration activities.
   • SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): By guaranteeing that the priorities and knowledge of marginalized groups, including youth and Indigenous Peoples, shape restoration strategies.
   • SDG 1 (No Poverty): By creating more sustainable and equitable outcomes that address the root social causes of poverty and environmental degradation.

5. Strategic Communication and Storytelling

   The ability to communicate the objectives, progress, and impact of restoration projects is vital for mobilizing support, influencing policy, and securing funding. Strategic communication translates technical data into compelling narratives. This skill supports:

   • SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): By inspiring action and fostering collaboration among diverse audiences.
   • SDG 4 (Quality Education): By raising public awareness and bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and community understanding.
   • SDG 13 (Climate Action) & SDG 15 (Life on Land): By building broad-based support for policies and actions that protect and restore ecosystems.

Capacity Building Resources for Restoration Professionals

To meet the urgent demand for skilled practitioners, several educational platforms offer programs designed to build these core competencies. The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) Pan-African Restoration Education program, for example, has trained university students across Africa. Further resources are available through dedicated learning ecosystems.

Recommended Training Platforms

• The Landscape Academy: Provides open-access foundational courses on ecosystem restoration, sustainable land use, and landscape finance, ideal for those new to the field.
• The CIFOR-ICRAF Digital Campus: Offers an immersive experience with tailored courses, peer learning, and expert feedback for professionals seeking to deepen practical skills in areas such as project management and public speaking.

Identified Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 15: Life on Land
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.3: “By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world.” The article’s central theme is addressing the fact that “40 percent of the world’s land is degraded” and highlights the urgency to “restore this degraded land.” It also mentions commitments to “restore millions of hectares of land by 2030.”
   • Target 15.2: “promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.” The article discusses how “forests have vanished” and promotes restoration approaches like “tree planting, natural regeneration or agroforestry.”

2. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.7: “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development…” The article explicitly states the need for “professionals equipped with the right set of skills” for restoration. It showcases the “Pan-African Restoration Education program,” the “Landscape Academy,” and the “Digital Campus” as initiatives providing these necessary skills.
   • Target 4.4: “By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.” The article focuses on equipping students with “technical and social tools to restore ecosystems” and offers courses to build “practical expertise and leadership.”

3. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.5: “Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making…” The section on “Gender, equity and social inclusion (GESI)” emphasizes the need to “analyze power dynamics, understand who is included or excluded from decision making,” and ensure that marginalized groups, including women, “help shape decisions and outcomes.”

4. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.2: “By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.” The article directly addresses this by stating that restoration efforts affect people differently based on “gender, age, socioeconomic status and other intersecting factors.” It advocates for ensuring that “women, Indigenous Peoples, youth and persons with disabilities help shape decisions and outcomes.”

5. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.3: “Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.” The article connects land degradation to “dire consequences for the climate” and promotes educational programs that build capacity for restoration, which is a key strategy for climate resilience and mitigation.

6. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.17: “Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.” The article heavily emphasizes “stakeholder engagement” and the need to unite “smallholder farmers, Indigenous leaders, government agencies, businesses and NGOs” through “strong partnerships.”

Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. Indicator for Target 15.3

   • Indicator 15.3.1: Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area. The article provides a direct statistic for this indicator, stating, “Up to 40 percent of the world’s land is degraded.” Progress can be measured by tracking the reduction of this percentage through restoration efforts.
   • An additional implied indicator is the area of land restored. The article mentions countries have “promised to restore millions of hectares of land by 2030,” which is a quantifiable measure of progress.

2. Indicator for Target 4.4

   • An implied indicator is the number of individuals trained in sustainable development skills. The article provides a specific metric: the “Pan-African Restoration Education program… has equipped 247 university students across five African countries.” This number serves as a direct indicator of educational outreach.

3. Indicator for Targets 5.5 and 10.2

   • An implied qualitative indicator is the implementation of inclusive and participatory processes. The article describes this as ensuring that “women, Indigenous Peoples, youth and persons with disabilities help shape decisions and outcomes.” Progress is measured by the successful application of these “participatory methods” in restoration projects.

4. Indicator for Target 17.17

   • An implied indicator is the formation of multi-stakeholder partnerships. The article identifies the key actors for these partnerships (“smallholder farmers, Indigenous leaders, government agencies, businesses and NGOs”). The number and effectiveness of these collaborations can be used to measure progress.

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: thinklandscape.globallandscapesforum.org