Youth Engagement in Land and Ecosystem Restoration

Land and ecosystems lay the foundation of the economy and the wellbeing of society. 85 percent of the world’s 1.2 billion young people live in regions that are directly dependent on land and natural resources for sustenance. Land degradation is a youth issue that threatens current and future generations’ quality of life. Young people are increasingly becoming eco-anxious about threats to their environment and the possible impacts there may be for future generation. Young people all over the world participate in both policy and action to avoid, minimize and reverse land and ecosystem degradation. The youth make their voice heard on multiple restoration policy platforms and by taking action on themes such as climate change and biodiversity. But their ability to act as agents of change in restoration is influenced by their geographical, biophysical and socio-economical setting, which in turn affect their access to education, knowledge, skills, land, funding required to engage in meaningful land restoration