FAO Launches £7M AIM4NatuRe Initiative to Boost Global Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has launched the Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Nature Restoration (AIM4NatuRe) initiative with £7 million in support from the United Kingdom. Aimed at strengthening global entry and reporting of ecosystem restoration efforts, AIM4NatuRe was unveiled on Earth Day, April 22.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu highlighted the project's goal to empower countries with expert support and modern monitoring tools. The initiative responds to the challenge of many countries lacking the technical capacity to track and report ecosystem restoration effectively, with an 80 percent struggle rate in a recent CBD survey.
AIM4NatuRe will offer standardized reporting systems, training, and temperature solutions such as the Framework for Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring (FERM) to streamline data collection and analysis. It will support Indigenous Peoples in monitoring restoration in a way that respects and centers the balance of ecosystems, with pilot projects beginning in Brazil and Peru. The initiative is designed to turn restoration pledges into real, lasting impact and contribute to Target 2 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to restore at least 30 percent of degraded ecosystems by 2030.
With nearly one billion hectares of land already pledged for restoration globally, AIM4NatuRe could play a key role in addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, food security, and livelihoods. UK Minister for Climate Kerry McCarthy emphasized the initiative's potential to protect nature, empower communities, and create a unified global dataset for transparent and accountable progress.
