Land degradation is a major threat to biodiversity, including migratory landbird species. Preventing further degradation is widely recognized as the most cost-effective way to conserve natural capital. Yet, implementing simple, effective restoration measures that deliver replicable results remains a challenge for UN Conventions and their Parties.

 

Habitat conservation and restoration are central objectives of the CMS’s African-Eurasian Migratory Landbirds Action Plan (AEMLAP). To achieve these goals, innovative and locally adapted approaches are urgently needed that address diverse ecological and socio-economic contexts. Successful examples of such approaches, including a successful initiative from Burkina Faso, demonstrate models that deliver measurable benefits for livelihoods and migratory landbirds and offer potential for replication and scaling across regions.

 

Since 2003, farmer-managed grazing exclusions based on assisted natural regeneration (ANR) have been established across Burkina Faso and the Sahel. Over 450 sites in Burkina Faso alone have restored vegetation, improved soil and water retention, and boosted carbon storage. The ecosystem services have doubled farmers’ incomes, while studies have quantified significant improvements in habitat quality and the presence and abundance of migratory landbird species. This locally driven approach demonstrates how restoration can simultaneously deliver economic, ecological, and climate benefits.

 

This holistic, bottom-up approach aligns with the objectives of the CMS and all three Rio Conventions (UNCCD, CBD, UNFCCC) by contributing to Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets, halting biodiversity loss and enhancing carbon storage. It represents a model for future restoration projects and integrated strategies under global environmental agreements.

 

The side event will demonstrate how natural regeneration of degraded lands provides critical habitats for migratory landbirds and tangible benefits for rural communities. The event will convene practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to showcase these successes and explore how such models can be scaled and mainstreamed across regions, fostering stronger synergies among restoration initiatives and global environmental commitments to achieve shared sustainability objectives.