Advancing ecosystem restoration through innovation: Kenya hosts AIM4NatuRe workshop

04/07/2025

As the world races to restore degraded ecosystems and halt biodiversity loss, transparent and innovative monitoring systems have emerged as critical to drive progress and accountability. Kenya is a leading example of this global effort, having committed to restoring 10.6 million hectares of degraded land by 2032 through its National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy.

To support countries’ restoration ambitions and global efforts under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Kingdom have launched the AIM4NatuRe – Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Nature Restoration. This new initiative, a component of the broader AIM4Forests initiative (Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Forests), seeks to develop global and support national-level restoration datasets, strengthen monitoring capacity, and enable countries to report on Target 2 of the KM-GBF: “30 per cent of degraded ecosystems under effective restoration by 2030.”

In Kenya, AIM4NatuRe builds on national dialogues held in 2024 and supports the Government and the Ministry of Environment in strengthening restoration monitoring efforts. It also leverages partnerships with key technical institutions such as CIFOR-ICRAF and RCRMD. It supports monitoring existing restoration commitments and  frameworks like the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and the Forest and Landscape Restoration Monitoring Framework. 

A collaborative push to refine Kenya’s work plan

An AIM4NatuRe workshop was held on 23 May 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together around 40 stakeholders from government, research institutions, local NGOs, and technical partners. The event served to refine Kenya’s national AIM4NatuRe work plan and build a roadmap for implementation through 2025 and beyond to support national monitoring systems for restoration.

The workshop kicked off with opening remarks highlighting the transformative role of AIM4NatuRe in catalyzing data-driven restoration efforts across Kenya and the globe. FAO introduced AIM4NatuRe, outlining its objectives, expected outcomes, and key activities, including support to national datasets, guidance on monitoring tools, and enhanced capacity for transparent reporting.

The introduction was followed by a presentation by CIFOR-ICRAF) on Kenya’s pilot work plan, structured around five key outputs: strengthening the restoration technical working groups, piloting county-level monitoring, developing the Forest Management Information System (FMIS), creating restoration data-sharing protocols, and piloting freshwater ecosystem monitoring based on new FAO guidance.

A lively Q&A session brought up questions about how the work plan will incorporate contributions from Indigenous Peoples, and those of local communities, engage the private sector and research community, and include freshwater and marine ecosystems in addition to terrestrial ecosystems.

“Kenya has made remarkable strides in developing its national forest monitoring system and is well-positioned to further enhance its international reporting on forest cover trends, said Jonathan Wesley Roberts, National Forest Monitoring Expert at FAO Forestry Division. “Recent assessments highlight Kenya’s substantial potential to benefit from forest restoration activities, particularly in unlocking climate finance opportunities. The launch of the AIM4NatuRe program represents a significant step forward, offering invaluable support to Kenya’s forest climate finance ambitions and its commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF), as well as advancing local restoration initiatives”.

“The workshop provided an opportunity to gain an updated overview of Kenya's efforts and progress in ecosystem restoration,” adds Gregory Obiang Ndong, Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring Specialist at FAO Forestry Division. “The contribution from government partners enabled us to strengthen the AIM4NatuRe work plan, our partnerships, and understand the support they need, as well as explore how the AIM4Nature programme could support.”

From strategy to practice: Assessing gaps and building consensus

The morning continued with three high-level presentations:

• An overview of Kenya’s National Ecosystem Restoration Strategy, including its alignment with national goals and international frameworks like the AFR100 and the UNCCD’s Land Degradation Neutrality target.
• A summary of the Forest and Landscape Restoration Monitoring Framework, which includes 88 indicators to monitor restoration progress across Kenya’s diverse ecosystems.
• A presentation on the ongoing revision of Kenya’s NBSAP, including alignment with KM-GBF targets and efforts to improve coordination among national actors.

Participants then took part in a roundtable discussion focused on developing Kenya’s default restoration dataset, with attention to three key monitoring tools: the JazaMiti App, the upcoming FMIS, and the national monitoring framework. The group identified the need for clear mandates, standardized indicators, and better data-sharing protocols, while noting existing limitations such as verification gaps and data fragmentation.

Stakeholder consultation: Bridging strategy and ground-level action

In the afternoon, participants split into thematic working groups to brainstorm on critical aspects of the work plan:

1. Piloting and scaling at the county level – How to embed restoration monitoring in local government structures.
2. Building the national platform – Technical and legal requirements for launching a functional monitoring system.
3. Data governance and sharing – Strategies to overcome institutional silos and improve data accessibility.
4. From boardroom to ground – Ensuring tangible impacts and inclusive implementation.

These discussions revealed that while Kenya has made substantial progress in establishing restoration policies and targets, several gaps remain. These include the absence of updated national baselines, weak spatial prioritization, inconsistent integration of communities, and heavy reliance on external funding. Participants also noted the need for safeguards and stronger alignment between planning frameworks and implementation on the ground.

Self-assessment and synergy with ongoing projects

The workshop also introduced the Target 2 Self-Assessment Tool, co-designed with CIFOR-ICRAF to help countries assess their alignment with restoration best practices. Through group evaluations, participants rated Kenya’s performance across three pillars – assessment, enabling environment, and monitoring . While Kenya has taken several steps forward, further investment is needed to ensure interoperability of monitoring systems and scale local data to national and global platforms.

In a related session, the new FAO-AFR100-BMZ Programme in Kenya was presented. Focused on community-led restoration and green job creation, the Programme shares key synergies with AIM4NatuRe, particularly in monitoring framework, local capacity building, and tracking restoration targets. It will be piloted in the Kerio Valley catchment, a degraded landscape at the intersection of Baringo and Elgeyo-Marakwet counties.

Setting the stage for what comes next

In closing, participants were thanked for their candid feedback and collaborative spirit. The workshop concluded with concrete next steps, including refining the AIM4NatuRe Kenya work plan, enhancing the JazaMiti App to link county-level actions to national systems, and strengthening partnerships with Kenya’s Ministry of Environment and other key institutions.

“The AIM4NatuRe workshop was very beneficial as it looked at the restoration agenda from different dimensions”, said Stephen Maina Kiama, Assistant Principal Research Scientists at Kenya Forestry Research Institute. “In particular, the emphasis on country-led planning and piloting restoration in selected counties presented a well-structured model that enhances local ownership and grassroots engagement through a bottom-up and top-down approach.”

"This workshop provided a vital platform for the implementation team to engage meaningfully with stakeholders, refine their workplan, and incorporate valuable feedback,” adds Jonathan Wesley Roberts. “Witnessing such active participation and collaboration was truly encouraging and underscores the importance of this program. I am genuinely enthusiastic to follow the progress of this initiative and look forward to seeing its positive impact unfold.”

Laying foundations for transparent and inclusive monitoring

The Nairobi workshop marked an important milestone for AIM4NatuRe in Kenya. By gathering technical experts, government stakeholders, and NGOs in a shared space, it helped build consensus on how to start turning ambitious restoration goals into tangible action.

With Kenya’s restoration leadership and FAO’s technical support, progress has been made towards a robust, transparent, and inclusive monitoring system – one that not only supports national implementation but also feeds into global efforts to restore degraded ecosystems and track progress toward biodiversity goals.