Youth-Led Ecosystem Restoration
Youth-Led Ecosystem Restoration is a community-driven initiative led by YANG to empower Indigenous youth in Gilgit-Baltistan to restore degraded ecosystems and strengthen climate resilience in mountain communities.
Supported through a Youth Task Force microgrant under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the project mobilized 300 Indigenous youth through tree planting, environmental awareness activities, and community-based ecosystem restoration actions.
As part of the initiative, youth participated in planting activities that resulted in 1,000 trees planted, while awareness sessions equipped young people with knowledge about ecosystem restoration, biodiversity conservation, climate change, protection of natural resources, and the importance of restoring mountain landscapes.
The project places Indigenous knowledge and youth leadership at the center of restoration, recognizing that local communities have an important role in protecting forests, water sources and mountain ecosystems. The approach also connects ecosystem restoration with climate resilience and community stewardship.
Key Achievements
- 1,000 trees planted
- 300 Indigenous youth mobilized
- Youth-led ecosystem restoration and tree-planting activities
- Increased awareness around protection of natural water sources and mountain ecosystems
- Community awareness on biodiversity, climate change and ecosystem restoration
- Strengthened Indigenous youth leadership and community stewardship
Through this initiative, YANG demonstrates that young people are not only beneficiaries of ecosystem restoration—they are active leaders of restoration on the ground. The project contributes to the broader goals of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030 by supporting locally led action to restore degraded ecosystems and build resilient communities.
Completion Date: April- July 2026
