Ecosystem restoration and land degradation monitoring 

Natural resources and ecosystems

Complex and interlinked trends, including global population growth and climate change, will put increasing pressure on much of the world’s natural resources, that prop up the global economy. The need for regular and accurate monitoring of these resources has increased in parallel with rising global awareness and the acknowledgement of the urgent need for innovative, measurable pathways to sustainable development and consumption. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) plays active roles in multilateral environmental agreements, providing inputs on measuring, monitoring, and verifying baselines and changes, as well as standards for reporting and quantification. FAO is supporting countries in the implementation and monitoring of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and also collaborates with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on food security and ecosystems services. 

While most natural resources are facing threats, some ecosystems – such as drylands, deltas and oases – are more vulnerable to environmental, human and climate change stressors, and struggle to adapt to changes. Monitoring these ecosystems is particularly urgent, given the increasing risk that the combined effects of these stressors could cause negative feedback mechanisms, endangering collapse of the natural systems and populations that rely on their services and goods. 

Ecosystems and biodiversity 

Identifying the value of ecosystem services and how they are supported by biodiversity at all levels (gene, species, ecosystems, and landscape), is critical and necessary for informed decision–making in restoring, protecting and developing our land. 

Geospatial technologies can support these actions through the mapping of ecosystem conditions and services over time at various spatial scales. Remote sensing imagery (satellites and ortho–photo maps) can also support the understanding of biodiversity, particularly in relation to landscape heterogeneity and complexity. Modelling of geospatial information (such as corridors for animal and plant dispersion, using wind breaks to protect against wind erosion, and pollination by wild insects) can support in quantifying and monitoring ecosystems stocks and fluxes.

Publications

News

Related links