On 1 June 2021, the World Resources Institute (WRI) is hosting a webinar - "Unlocking $100 Billion For Restoring Africa’s Landscapes: How Do We Get There?"
2030 is a big year for Africa: By then, governments have committed to begin restoring more than 100 million ha of degraded landscapes through the AFR100 Initiative and the Great Green Wall. Growing trees, revitalizing grasslands, planting mangroves, and a host of other techniques would provide a future that is more food-, water-, and energy-secure. It would also be a major financial boon for rural communities: For every $1 invested in restoring land, people can see $7-30 in economic benefits. At minimum, investing $100 billion across 100 million restored hectares could add more than $700 billion of value.
But over the past decade, only a small fraction of the billions of dollars already earmarked for restoration have been directly invested in the governments, tree-growing organizations, and companies with the necessary long-term vision, local roots, and technical expertise. How can we ensure that this new funding flows directly to land restoration programs.