Forests and the environment

Wildlife and protected area management

The Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism

Supporting AFR100 by engaging with small-scale forest and farm producers

Partnerships and initiatives

UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration

The programme encourages sustainable use of wildlife species.

Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme

News

CBD parties acknowledge FAO road map on ecosystem restoration

19/02/2026

Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) this week acknowledged an FAO-led global partnership to monitor progress towards ecosystem restoration under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM...

Protecting forests is protecting Africa's agrifood systems

17/12/2025

When forests thrive, so do communities and agriculture, explains Ewald Rametsteiner, Deputy Director of FAO's Forestry Division.

Indigenous and local action brings back nature: UN recognizes three World Restoration Flagships

04/12/2025

Newly designated initiatives in Australia, Canada and South Africa represent science-based and inclusive examples of ecosystem restoration.

Publications

The role of natural regeneration in large-scale forest and landscape restoration: challenge and opportunity

2015

Natural regeneration consists, in its most basic form, of letting remaining portions of the original ecosystem re-colonize a degraded area. A 5-fold cost reduction can be achieved when compared to Restoration Planting; additionally, species colonize from the surrounding area and are adapted to local conditions and to other species (local genotypes).

FAO Forestry Paper 174: Towards effective national forest funds

2015

Towards effective national forest funds addresses the need for more information on the way NFFs work and how best to establish and manage them.

The State of the World’s Forest Genetic Resources: Synthetic Account

2014

Forests and trees enhance and protect landscapes, ecosystems and production systems. They provide goods and services which are essential to the survival and well-being of all humanity.

Videos

Forest monitoring and Indigenous-led restoration in Brazil

17/11/2025

From satellite-based monitoring to community and indigenous-led restoration, Brazil’s approach is inspiring a global movement for forest protection...

Simonda – a young dynamic farmer finding ways to coexist with wildlife in Namibia

25/09/2025

This video tells the story of Simonda Kakola, a young and dynamic farmer from Namibia’s Zambezi Region. Like many rural families, he faces the tough...

The Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme promotes sustainable devil's claw harvesting in Namibia

28/08/2025

In Namibia’s dry, open landscapes, a small plant plays a big role. Devil’s claw is recognized around the world for its natural health benefits. Namibia...

‘Greening’ the humanitarian response in Uganda and Djibouti

20/06/2025

The Greening the Humanitarian Response project, funded by the European Union and implemented by FAO in collaboration with UNHCR, aims to strengthen...

Transforming the asaí value chain in Bolivia through traditional methods and modern ingenuity

27/03/2025

In Porvenir, Bolivia, Indigenous communities are proving that forest conservation and prosperity can go hand in hand.

Dedicated to wildlife and her community; Chipo’s latest story

02/09/2024

Watch this video to experience a typical day in the life of Chipo, a young community wildlife enthusiast who is working in Binga District, Matabeleland...

Goat is Gold; Levia’s story

02/09/2024

The Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme is working with traditional chiefs, local communities, government authorities and women like Levia...

How to make chilli bricks to ward off elephants

01/09/2024

Watch this training video to learn how to make chilli bricks to deter elephants from eating your crops and to reduce human-wildlife conflict.

Empowering Rupununi women: conservation and community champions in Guyana

01/06/2024

Highlighting the significant role that women in the Rupununi region of Guyana play in promoting both community welfare and wildlife conservation.

Forest and landscape restoration in the Philippines

13/02/2024

Philippine's forest ecosystems provide services and economic benefits to communities. The FAO Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism strengthens...