The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) marked Earth Day (22 April) with the official launch of Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Nature Restoration (AIM4NatuRe), a global initiative aimed at enhancing the capacity of countries to monitor and report on ecosystem restoration. Announced during a dedicated Earth Day event in Rome, AIM4NatuRe is a US$ 9 million programme funded by the United Kingdom, with a contribution of GBP 7 million, and is set to run from 2025 to 2028.
Support for Global Biodiversity Targets
AIM4NatuRe is designed to bolster transparency and accountability in meeting global restoration commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Specifically aligned with Target 2 of the GBF—which aims to restore at least 30 percent of degraded ecosystems by 2030—the initiative will empower countries with the technological tools and standardized data systems required for robust reporting.
Speaking at the launch, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu emphasized that AIM4NatuRe will enable countries to access technical expertise and resources necessary for accurate monitoring.
“By providing countries with technical expertise and solutions, and ensuring they have the resources they need to monitor their progress accurately, we can ensure that our collective efforts translate restoration commitments into real and lasting impacts for people and the planet during this UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and beyond.”
United Kingdom Minister for Climate, Kerry McCarthy, echoed these remarks, highlighting the initiative’s alignment with the UK’s support for forest protection and community empowerment. “AIM4NatuRe is an innovative initiative that will leverage technology and data to enhance nature restoration, building on the success of the high-performing AIM4Forests programme. The UK has a leading role in protecting and restoring forests while empowering the communities that depend on them, and we’re proud to work with partners like FAO to support countries across the globe,” she stated.
Expanding from Forests to All Ecosystems
AIM4NatuRe builds on FAO’s existing AIM4Forests programme, also funded by the UK, which has employed advanced technology to train participants across 14 countries. While AIM4Forests focused on forest monitoring, AIM4NatuRe extends its scope to a variety of ecosystems including wetlands, grasslands, marine environments, and degraded agricultural lands, thus offering a comprehensive approach to ecosystem restoration.
This initiative prioritizes the development of a global dataset on nature restoration progress. It will enable countries to adopt the latest technological innovations to track their restoration activities. In doing so, AIM4NatuRe will assist in the collection, analysis, and sharing of data, ensuring that national efforts are harmonized into a unified global reporting framework.
Responding to Global Capacity Gaps
A recent survey by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat indicated that 80 percent of countries reported being unable to collect adequate data to report on national restoration progress. Addressing this capacity gap is a core focus of AIM4NatuRe. During the recent Resumed Session of the CBD Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) in Rome, Parties acknowledged the need for increased support in implementing Target 2 and invited FAO to lead this effort.
AIM4NatuRe will support countries by providing access to technological solutions and facilitating capacity development. A central element of this initiative is the emphasis on data interoperability. By establishing standardized data formats and protocols, AIM4NatuRe will streamline the process of aggregating national data into a coherent global dataset. This approach will not only enhance comparability and transparency but also reduce the administrative burden on participating countries.
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To further strengthen implementation, AIM4NatuRe will offer practical guidance and technical tools, including the Framework for Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring (FERM), which will support countries in all phases of data collection and reporting.
Inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge and New Knowledge Resources
The initiative also underscores the importance of inclusive restoration efforts by supporting Indigenous Peoples in monitoring biocentric nature restoration. A pilot effort in collaboration with FAO’s Indigenous Peoples Unit will be conducted in Brazil and Peru, highlighting a holistic approach that centers on the well-being of all life forms within an ecosystem.
Coinciding with the launch of AIM4NatuRe, FAO also unveiled a new publication titled Enabling consistent reporting and monitoring for freshwater (inland waters) restoration under Target 2. This publication is intended to support countries in achieving restoration goals specific to freshwater ecosystems.
Towards a Unified Global Effort
With global restoration commitments covering approximately 1 billion hectares of land, the success of such efforts hinges on effective monitoring systems. AIM4NatuRe emerges as a timely response to this need, facilitating data-driven restoration strategies that can contribute up to one-third of the climate mitigation required to limit global warming to below 2°C by 2030, while simultaneously supporting food security and livelihoods.
AIM4NatuRe reflects a coordinated push towards improved ecosystem health, leveraging technological advancements and collaborative frameworks to enable countries to move from commitments to measurable progress.
