The delegates of the Society for Ecological Restoration´s 4th World Conference on Ecological Restoration (SER2011) congratulate the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) for their practical and forward looking Strategic Plan 2011-2020, including Targets 14 and 15 in which the Parties have agreed that by 2020, ecosystems of particular importance to water security, human health, and sustainable livelihoods are restored, and their resilience and contribution to carbon stocks enhanced, through conservation and restoration, including the restoration of at least 15% of degraded ecosystems.
This is a call to action from the 1000 delegates – representing scientists and practitioners, environmental NGOs, private corporations, government agencies, and community and indigenous leaders from over 60 countries – who gathered in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico from August 21-25, 2011. The delegates addressed many of the challenges and opportunities associated with restoring ecosystems and re-establishing the essential link between nature and culture.
Recognizing the critical importance of our global ecological infrastructure as the foundation for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem resilience, sustainable livelihoods, and future economic prosperity, the delegates strongly urge the CBD Parties to act swiftly to deliver on the restoration commitments embedded in the new Strategic Plan, and to:
The SER2011 delegates also call on the World Bank, Global Environmental Facility, and other multilateral and bilateral funding institutions to support, through capacity building and other means, the development and implementation of national and sub-national ecological restoration projects and programs.