Brazil's science-policy effort to monitor native vegetation restoration.

Abstract

In its early years, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration has mobilized unprecedented global commitments. Yet, measuring restoration success remains contested, particularly in megadiverse countries where the absence of standardized indicators and assessment protocols often leads to subjective decisions by environmental agencies. Here, we present a core set of leading indicators developed through a pioneering Brazil-led science-policy collaboration between environmental agencies and research institutions. The indicators capture early vegetation recovery within four years and whether restoration trajectories are sustained or at risk of reversal. The initiative also establishes a framework that bridges science and policy to deliver practical monitoring tools. It offers a model for other megadiverse countries with complex governance, showing how simple, standardized indicators can translate restoration pledges into measurable results for the UN Decade.