Small Island Developing States (SIDS) have it rough in many ways. They are perhaps best known for their vulnerability to climate change, as a result of high poverty, rural populations, dependence on traditional agriculture, tourism-based economies and other factors.

The world’s forest ecosystems provide critical and diverse services and values to human society. As primary habitat for a wide range of species, forests support biodiversity maintenance and conservation.

Degradation of forests can have severe negative local impacts and far-reaching consequences, including soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, dust storms, diminished livelihood opportunities and reduced yields of forest products and services.

Soil erosion is integrally linked to land degradation. The excessive soil loss resulting from poor land management has serious implications for crop productivity and food security, which calls for sustainable use of our soil resource.

Restoration of degraded land can create vast bioenergy crop potential, without constraining food crops or other land use options. This presents an important opportunity for African countries to develop modern, sustainable bioenergy from rapidly growing wood crops at the same time as pursuing ambitious forest landscape restoration initiatives.

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the benefits and costs of restoring forests and landscapes in countries around the world, demonstrating how smart policies and innovative financing can help governments meet their restoration targets.

At the side event Good Peatland Governance to Strengthen Economic, Social and Ecosystem Resilience at the UNFCCC COP23 in Bonn, Germany, the Global Peatlands Initiative under the leadership of UN Environment will release its rapid response assessment Smoke on Water – countering global threats from peatland loss and degradation.