United Nations names Ethiopia’s Desa’a forest a World Restoration Flagship

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has designated the Desa’a forest restoration project in Ethiopia as a World Restoration Flagship. The recognition was announced on October 29 during the U.N. Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP17) in Armenia.

Located in the Great Rift Valley within the Tigray and Afar regions, the Desa’a forest is a critical Afromontane ecosystem. The initiative, titled “Restoring Desa’a landscape: Bringing the Great Rift Valley Back to Life,” has successfully restored over 23,000 hectares of degraded land. These efforts have reportedly prevented approximately 500,000 metric tons of soil erosion and improved soil water infiltration.

The forest provides essential resources, including freshwater and fertile soil, for millions of people and serves as a habitat for endangered species such as the Ethiopian wolf and gelada monkey. While the project has achieved significant ecological milestones, ongoing armed conflict in the region continues to threaten the long-term stability of the restoration work and the local communities involved.