UN Designates Ethiopia’s Desa’a Forest Restoration as World Flagship, Secures Technical and Advocacy Support

On 29 October 2026, the United Nations Environment Programme announced that the Desa’a forest restoration project in Ethiopia’s Tigray region had been named a World Restoration Flagship at the U.N. Biodiversity Conference in Yerevan. The initiative, launched in 2016 to revive the Great Rift Valley’s Afromontane forests, now receives formal recognition and a package of support that includes technical assistance, monitoring, and communication and advocacy services. The forest, once 74 % cleared, still suffers from 70 % degradation of the remaining area, threatening species such as the Ethiopian wolf, gelada monkey and giant lobelia, and undermining its role in carbon storage and cloud formation. The UN’s endorsement signals a boost in resources and visibility that should accelerate reforestation efforts and strengthen stakeholder collaboration in a region still affected by conflict.