Conservation and restoration efforts are most efficient when considered as part of a broader ecological and social system rather than isolated sites. Coordination across landscapes ensures that interventions account for the interdependencies between terrestrial ecosystems, such as forests, wetlands, and rivers, with human activities. – Union for the Mediterranean, Mediterranean Ecosystems Restoration: Safeguarding Natural Heritage for People and Nature
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO), the Mediterranean Basin is the world’s second largest biodiversity hotspot. It comprises the Mediterranean Sea, and the European, Asian, and African countries and regions enclosing it (Figure 1). Despite the distinct socio-economic and cultural identities of these countries, the region shares a unique environmental identity, with a rich and distinctive ecology. It is also the world’s most popular tourism destination and home to one of its busiest shipping routes.
Climate change and other environmental pressures, from urbanisation and pollution to the degradation of land and marine ecosystems, have increased droughts, extreme heat, and wildfires across the region. Drylands make up 67 percent of the territory, and these pressures create significant risks for the health and well-being of local populations, including water scarcity, sea-level rise, and reduced agricultural yields.
Mediterranean Lands in Motion
Many Mediterranean forest species are at risk of extinction; however, ecological restoration has accelerated in recent years, moving away from the silviculture approaches of the last century, whose monoculture plantations were more vulnerable to wildfires and offered low biodiversity and limited ecological function. Eight million hectares of Mediterranean forest have been identified for restoration by 2030, using standards-based approaches to maximise ecological, socio-economic, and cultural benefits. Tools such as the WWF-SER Standards for Mediterranean Forest Restoration now offer frameworks that can be adapted to other regions, serving as a blueprint for project certification and streamlining project planning and execution.
A study of Mediterranean restoration led by Alice Nunes, SER2027 Conference Co-Chair, highlighted the importance of collaboration and of bridging disciplines for effective outcomes. This includes the need for consistency between practices, scientific cooperation, stronger long-term monitoring and evaluation, and, given the region’s population density, social engagement. Successful ecological restoration rests on recognising that all natural and human ecosystems are interconnected and interdependent. The same is true for the broad community dedicated to restoring the world’s lands, oceans, coasts, and inland waters. It is through the exchange of ideas and collaboration, including disagreements and compromises, that diverse perspectives meet and true innovation and progress occur.
A Singular Venue for Collaboration
SER’s World Conferences provide a singular venue for these essential interactions, with more than 1,500 attendees expected from over 80 countries. Here, a plenary on connectivity in marine ecosystems might draw researchers exploring socio-cultural approaches to peatland restoration, in search of a new perspective on how to drive effective stakeholder collaboration. Where senior policymakers sit alongside expert practitioners in a symposium on the need for regulation and nursery accreditation, recognising that by working together to manage the spread of invasive species, they can reduce risks and costs and improve restoration outcomes across the continent. These connections, and many more like them, will be built at SER2027, stemming from curiosity, shared passion, and ambition, and helping to identify the leverage points that accelerate progress.
The conference was an excellent platform for both learning and connection. It offered valuable insights into ecological restoration and created meaningful opportunities to exchange ideas across disciplines. I especially appreciated the open and collaborative atmosphere that encouraged genuine networking and knowledge sharing. Presenting my work here was also rewarding and helped me see its relevance in a broader restoration context. – SER2025 Delegate
An Inflection Point for Global Restoration
The World Conference on Ecological Restoration returns to Europe for the first time in 12 years, taking place the same week that European Member States will submit their final National Restoration Plans (NRPs) under the EU’s groundbreaking Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR). This is a historic moment for policy in the region and an unprecedented opportunity for the global restoration community as it gathers in Lisbon. Symposia and training courses at the event will offer timely insights and lessons to apply in Europe and around the world. Proposals are now being accepted and can be submitted under one of nine sub-themes: lands, freshwaters, or seascapes; the vital bridges between science and practice, knowledge and outcomes, partnerships and governance; and the cross-cutting themes of finance, socio-economic impact, and art, culture, and inspiration.
To paraphrase Baba Dioum, we restore what we love, we love what we understand, and we only understand what we are taught. The act of sharing knowledge and receiving feedback enables us to sharpen our thinking and amplify our impact.
Conclusion
From the seas, mountains, forests, and wetlands of the Mediterranean, to African plains, tropical rainforests, Arctic tundra, and the depths of the ocean, our collective efforts to restore nature provide inspiration and give us reason to hope that we will leave a healthier and more resilient world for future generations. By presenting your work at SER2027, you join a shared mission to build momentum for global ecological restoration.
To learn more or submit a proposal by the 7 October deadline, please visit: https://ser2027.org/call-for-proposals-open/
References
Ali, E., W. Cramer, J. Carnicer, E. Georgopoulou, N.J.M. Hilmi, G. Le Cozannet, and P. Lionello, 2022: Cross-Chapter Paper 4: Mediterranean Region. In: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, pp. 2233–2272, doi:10.1017/9781009325844.021.
Colomina, D., Cortina, J., Melero, M., Cagide, N., & Gann, G. (2023). WWF-SER standards for the certification of ecological restoration projects for forests in Spain (Version 4.0). Society for Ecological Restoration & WWF Spain. https://ser-europe.org/files/2024/06/WWF-SER-Standards-Certification-Forest-Restoration-FINAL.pdf
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2025). The status of Mediterranean forests 2025. https://doi.org/10.4060/cd6921en
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (n.d.). Restoring Mediterranean forests. Retrieved September 14, 2026, from https://www.fao.org/in-action/forest-landscape-restoration-mechanism/un-decade/world-restoration-flagships/restoring-mediterranean-forests/
Nunes, A., Oliveira, G., Mexia, T., Valdecantos, A., Zucca, C., Costantini, E. A. C., Abraham, E. M., Kyriazopoulos, A. P., Salah, A., Prasse, R., Correia, O., Milliken, S., Kotzen, B., & Branquinho, C. (2016). Ecological restoration across the Mediterranean Basin as viewed by practitioners. Science of the Total Environment, 566–567, 722–732. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.136
Interreg Euro-MED Natural Heritage Mission. (2026). Mediterranean ecosystems restoration: Safeguarding natural heritage for people and nature [Policy recommendations]. https://natural-heritage.interreg-euro-med.eu/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/policy-recommendations-on-restoration—terrestrial-and-freshwater-ecosystems.pdf
Ockendon, N., Shaw, T., Bautista, S., Bhattacharjee, A., Cortina-Segarra, J., Iordache, V., López, V. O., Thomas, D., Satyal, P., Van doninck, J., & Birk, S. (2025). Overcoming barriers and leveraging opportunities to scale up landscape-scale restoration in Europe. Restoration Ecology, 33(5), Article e70075. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70075