IUCN - Ecosystems and Private Sector

In Nature Resilience: Ecological Restoration by Partners in Business for Next Generations, Willem Ferwerda (Senior Advisor on Business and Ecosystems at IUCN CEM and Executive Fellow at the Rotterdam School of Management), argue that it is time to establish a practical international mechanism that actively creates new partnerships for a minimum of 20 years. The proposed mechanism would initiate and organise tailor-made Ecosystem Restoration Partnerships between business and other stakeholder groups, wherein the explicit goal would be the restoration of degraded land (hectares) in cooperation with local people, farmers and NGOs, in a way that conforms with internationally established guidelines.

By the pragmatic mechanism indicated in this publication, international restoration targets will be reached more quickly, private investments will return, and practical lessons can be learned by working practically together. The scheme has the potential to restore millions of hectares within 10 years.

While working in Ecosystem Restoration Partnerships, all available technical tools will be used, companies will learn how ecology is part of their core business; future business leaders will include practical ecosystem science in their curricula; local land users and conservationist will learn to work together and local people will benefit from the restoration of natural capital, providing them with crops, water and a healthy environment.

Some recommendations from the publication:

- the creation of an independent and practical deal maker for ´Nature Resilience´ where a small group of experts are actively composing ´Ecosystem Restoration Partnerships´ between companies and others stakeholders;

- Return of Investment for local people and business

- Successes takes time: minimum 20 years;

- Partnerships are endorsed by established institutions and follow international guidelines.

- The added value of Nature Resilience is guarding the sustainability of the partnership during 20 years, through:

o coaching and problem solving

o maintenance of scientific and networks of civil society organisations

o monitoring of results

o bringing in new data and technologies

Practical feedback is welcome, please send to

nature-resilience@iucn.org

IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

Ecosystems and Private Sector

Nature resilience : organising ecological restoration by partners in business for next generations

See here how ecological restoration works: