The Global Restoration Observatory (GRO) is a multi-stakeholder network of universities, international organizations, and research institutes from various cross-sections of the natural resource management community -- including remote sensing experts, restoration practitioners, data analysts and policy makers convening to increase and strengthen capacity for restoration monitoring.
Restoration monitoring has not received the same level of investment–nor has it achieved as much progress- as monitoring forest and ecosystem loss. Monitoring and reporting on restoration is complex for several reasons:
The GRO seeks to address the knowledge and data gaps currently hindering comprehensive restoration monitoring by using a consultative, peer-reviewed approach to developing the best-available data, ensuring consistency in methods, and defining restoration progress.
By strengthening restoration monitoring we aim to increase the impact of existing restoration goals and platforms such as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the Bonn Challenge and national reporting of Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement.