Countries fall far short of pledges to restore stricken land, report shows

GENEVA, Aug 21 (Reuters) – Countries have restored an area roughly twice the size of France under U.N.-backed efforts to reverse land degradation – far short of their own restoration targets – a study by the world’s largest conservation network showed on Friday. 

• The International Union for Conservation of Nature said countries had rehabilitated 124.3 million hectares or 10.4% of their collective national pledges.

• The land is degraded by events including wildfires and drought, which scientists say human-induced climate change has made more likely.

• The report is published to coincide with a meeting in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, until August 28 to discuss land restoration as part of a series of U.N. meetings to combat drought and desertification.

• Up to 40% of the world’s land is degraded, U.N. estimates show, reducing food production, water availability and jobs.

• In Mongolia, the level is nearly 77% as overgrazing has exacerbated the problem of increased desertification linked to climate change.

• The collective target of 1.2 billion hectares made under four different U.N. frameworks involves various timelines but most converge around 2030, the IUCN said.

• IUCN Director General Grethel Aguilar said investing in restoration would address biodiversity loss and also bring economic returns.

• “Restoration isn’t just an environmental fix, it’s one of the smartest investments we can make,” Aguilar said.

(Reporting by Emma Farge; editing by Barbara Lewis)