Ecosystem restoration has become a global priority due to accelerating land degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change. However, the ecological, social, and interconnected social-ecological impacts of restoration efforts remain insufficiently understood. The DFG research project A social-ecological systems approach to inform ecosystem restoration in rural Africa (2023-2028) aims to develop a comprehensive framework, approaching ecosystem restoration from a social-ecological systems perspective for understanding the mechanisms involved in generating different restoration outcomes.

Focusing on western Rwanda, a global restoration leader, it seeks to generate both place-based insights and transferable knowledge for restoration efforts worldwide. The research team consists of an interdisciplinary team and includes scientists from Leuphana (Institute for Social-Ecological Systems (SESI) and Institute of Ecology (IE)), the Universities of Göttingen and Kassel as well as the FU Berlin. The work is divided into eight interconnected sub-projects, organized into four clusters (see below). The research unit combines post-hoc assessments, participatory experiments, and future scenario planning to provide a holistic understanding of restoration dynamics. The findings shall advance restoration science and social-ecological research, directly benefitting restoration efforts in Rwanda, and offering global insights for improving restoration practices worldwide.

One of the sub-projects (SP7), headed by Vicky Temperton from the Leuphana Institute of Ecology and Stefan Sieber (Leibniz-Zentrum für Agrarlandschaftsforschung (ZALF) e.V.), focuses on establishing a living lab to bridge science and practice in Rwanda’s restoration efforts. While past restoration has largely relied on Eucalyptus monocultures, new initiatives promote native tree species to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services. Using a transdisciplinary approach, SP7 collaborates with stakeholders to co-design, co-produce, and co-evaluate restoration solutions. Scientific experiments will be conducted in two governance models, allowing comparison of their impacts on biodiversity, resilience, and livelihoods.

The following article was originally written and published by Dr. William Apollinaire on the ecosystem restoration blog.

After the Rwanda Restore project kick-off in Kigali in January 2024 and a restoration stakeholder conference held there from February 19–21, 2025, the SP7 research unit officially launched the Living Lab in Rutsiro District, western Rwanda, on February 25, 2025.

42 participants attended the workshops from academia, various governmental and non-governmental institutions as well as local communities. The workshops aimed to establish a Living Lab Roundtable and define two governance models for the Living Lab, along with its code of conduct and communication strategy. Further, the workshop discussed opportunities and challenges for the current, mid-term and long-term future of restoration in Rutsiro, using a Three Horizons Approach, for restoration strategic planning in Rutsiro.

Organized into small group discussions, participants defined the code of conduct, communication principles and strategy and the three horizons for the restoration in the area. At the end of the workshop, participants visited Living Lab sites in Gihango Sector. During the visit, the research team hiked through the hilly landscape to observe various land uses and assess the potential for restoration interventions. They were accompanied and guided by local field assistants and farmer group members, who provided valuable insights.

A community workshop was organized in two cells of the Gihango District: Teba and Shyembe. The field trip brought together representatives of farmers groups and cooperatives, carpenters, traditional healers, beekeepers, and farm owners of plots where the Living Lab sites sit.

Individual visits were also arranged to meet model farmers who have enhanced their nutrition by integrating food plants such as Chayote, Passion fruit, Avocado, Pineapple and Cucumber into agroforestry systems, particularly within their home gardens, for their consumption or the market. In some cases, farmers combine a variety of fruit plants and legumes within the same plot.

The study selection and the social network analysis have been completed in 2024. The roundtable has now been set up, the ongoing process before the end of this year will cover the co-design of field trials, definition of impact areas, delineation and registration of demonstration sites, including the signing of sustainability agreement with farm owners within the Living Lab sites. Further, the roundtable of stakeholders will soon develop the indicators of success.

You can find out more about the research project and the sub-projects here: https://ecosystemrestoration.net/subprojects/

Info: What Is Restoration?
Restoration is defined as a human-induced process that supports the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, disturbed, or completely destroyed. The goals and success criteria for restoration projects are based on ecological (and social) conditions and site-specific factors. According to the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), restoration should not only reestablish individual species or landscape features but also create a long-term resilient, self-sustaining ecosystem that is ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable.

A Success Story: How it all Began

The initial spark for the network was ignited at the 10th European Conference on Ecological Restoration 2016 in Freising. During a specially organized practitioner’s day, the need and strong interest in better networking between scientists, practitioners, and administrative actors became evident. During the conference, an initial mailing list was created, which has steadily grown and now includes around 300 members.

In 2017, the first network meeting took place in Jänschwalde (Brandenburg), organized by Sabine Tischew and Kathrin Kiehl in collaboration with local stakeholders. This was followed by the strategic plan for the “Netzwerk Renaturierung”  as a “loose working group” leading to regular events at changing locations in Germany, and also Luxembourg. Each meeting focuses on a specific restoration topic and ecosystem. The changing locations allow new participants to join regularly and the network to expand constantly.

The Structure: Openness as a Principle

A key feature of the network is its flexible and non-bureaucratic structure. There are no membership fees or association structures, keeping administrative effort to a minimum. Additionally, network meetings are self-financed, meaning there are no extra conference fees.
As a result, the network remains open to anyone interested in restoration, regardless of whether they come from academia, associations, government agencies, planning offices, or businesses.

The organizers (Simone Schneider – Naturschutzsyndikat SICONA; Annika Schmidt and Sabine Tischew – Anhalt University of Applied Sciences; Kathrin Kiehl – Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences; Vicky Temperton – Leuphana University; Johannes Kollmann – TUM) invest a great deal of voluntary work to keep this unique network alive. They share tasks related to the website, coordination, and (technical) organization. For them, it is clear: the collaborative exchange and the opportunity to advance restoration ecology are worth the effort.

Practice Meets Science: The Importance of the Network Meetings

 A central element of the network’s work is its regular meetings. These typically consist of short keynote presentations followed by site visits to restoration areas and projects. A special focus is placed on open discussions about successes, challenges, and even failures – since the community can gain valuable lessons from mistakes.

Previous meeting topics have included the restoration of raw soil areas, the integration of conservation aspects into spatial planning, and the restoration of grasslands at the last network meeting in Luxembourg in summer 2024. In 2025, there will be three network meetings.

At the European Level

The “Netzwerk Renaturierung”  is also well-connected at the European level. Since 2019, it has been a member of SER Europe (the European chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration) and maintains close contacts with related organizations, including the Working Group on Conservation and Restoration Ecology within SER Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This international collaboration helps develop leverage synergies between different restoration initiatives. Adding to that, networks as the “Netzwerk Renaturierung” play a crucial role for promoting the EU Nature Restoration Law – by scaling up restoration efforts and contributing to national implementation aligning with EU-wide objectives. Such networks are essential for translating policy into action, promoting innovative approaches, and maximizing the long-term success of restoration efforts under the new legislation.

Info: The EU Nature Restoration Law
The EU Nature Restoration Law came into force on 18 August 2024. It aims to restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and marine areas by 2030 and to restore all ecosystems in need of restoration to good ecological status by 2050. The EU Member States are obliged to draw up national restoration plans that set out how the defined targets are to be achieved at national level. By promoting restoration initiatives, biodiversity and the climate can be protected, the resilience of ecosystems can be increased and economic benefits secured. This regulation is a central component of the European Green Deal and the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030.

Conclusion: Working together for a Sustainable Future

The “Netzwerk Renaturierung” is an outstanding example of how flexible, inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration can be successfully implemented. Through open exchange between science and practice, innovative solutions are developed to address the diverse challenges of restoration ecology. In a time when intact ecosystems are invaluable, such a platform is indispensable.

Anyone interested in becoming part of the network can find more information and get in touch via the network’s website. One thing is certain: the restoration of our ecosystems is most successful when we shape it together.