Despite growing global awareness of the importance of land and ecosystem restoration in addressing the climate crisis, less attention has been paid to its promising – yet largely untapped – potential to foster international peace and cooperation. This report aims to fill this gap by setting the political case for land and ecosystem restoration as a powerful route towards international peace and security, addressing the following questions:
- What are the linkages between land degradation, conflict and insecurity that
matter most between countries and societies in transboundary geographies? - What are the key enablers for land restoration and forest conservation initiatives
to promote cooperation across borders and achieve peace-positive outcomes,
especially in FCAS? - What is the current financial landscape for cross-border land and ecosystem
restoration initiatives, and what significant gaps remain in enhancing peace and
security priorities? - What are the critical next steps to advance the land-peace-security nexus agenda
and bring it to the forefront of the global security arena?
As a result, the authors identified five key pathways linking land, land-based resource and ecosystem degradation to conflict and insecurity:
The analysis conducted in this report also identified five key enablers for land and ecosystem restoration initiatives to promote cooperation and peace in FCAS and post-conflict areas, with a focus on trans-boundary contexts.
