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Across one of the world’s most biodiverse regions, countries are confronting rising land degradation and accelerating efforts to build resilience.  In Panama, the relationship between land and water is visible in every direction. Forested hillsides feed rivers that sustain communities, ecosystems, and one of the world’s most strategic waterways. The country’s geography is a reminder of something Latin America and the Caribbean know well: when land thrives, resilience follows — and when land is under pressure, the effects ripple outward across economies, societies and borders. This truth is shared across the 33 countries that make up the region. Stretching from the drylands of northern Mexico to the rainforests of the Amazon and the island nations of the Caribbean, Latin America and the Caribbean hold extraordinary natural wealth — yet they are also experiencing some of the fastest environmental changes in the world. According to the latest assessments of the UNCCD, 394 million hectares — nearly one-fifth of the reported land area — are already degraded. In some subregions, scientific estimates rise as high as 40 per cent. In Panama alone, more than 32 per cent of land shows signs of degradation. These pressures take many forms. In the Dry Corridor, shifting rainfall patterns affect crops and even navigation routes. In the Amazon basin, record dry seasons have strained rivers essential for food, hydropower, and transport. In the La Plata basin, prolonged drought has influenced global commodity prices. Forest fires — once sporadic — now burn more frequently in several countries. For small islands with limited freshwater reserves, water scarcity is becoming increasingly acute. Yet the region is also defined by determination and creativity. Communities are restoring degraded hillsides, reviving agroforestry, protecting watersheds, and strengthening early-warning systems.Their work reflects what UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad described as the foundation of resilience: “Healthy land and soils are the foundation of food, water, stability and peace.” This commitment is visible in daily life — in how farmers adapt to shifting rainfall, in the stewardship of Indigenous guardians, in the recovery of forests and rangelands, and in local initiatives that protect water sources. Together, these efforts form a mosaic of resilience, from mountain landscapes to coastal plains.  Where regional realities meet global dialogue These shared realities — the challenges and the solutions — also informed recent exchanges in Panama City, held alongside the 23rd session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC23). While not a negotiation forum, CRIC23 provided a moment for countries to reflect on common concerns and contribute to a broader conversation about land and resilience. The lived experience of the region mirrors its environmental pressures: farmers adapting to new seasonal patterns, Indigenous custodians restoring landscapes with ancestral knowledge, and governments developing strategies to manage droughts that reshape entire sectors. At the same time, new opportunities are emerging — from nature-based solutions to integrated fire management and long-term drought planning. Amid these exchanges, Brazil offered a clear call for coordinated regional and global action. Edel Moraes, National Secretary for Traditional Peoples, Local Communities and Sustainable Rural Development at the Ministry of the Environment of Brazil, stressed that: “Land degradation and rising drought risks demand urgent, coordinated action. Protecting soils, restoring ecosystems, and strengthening drought-resilient territories are essential for food security and rural prosperity. Brazil highlights the leadership of women, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, whose knowledge and stewardship are central to successful restoration and sustainable land management. We also call for stronger synergies among the Rio Conventions — UNCCD, UNFCCC and CBD — to reduce fragmentation, align support, and expand access to predictable finance for developing countries. Brazil remains committed to advancing integrated solutions that deliver real benefits on the ground and support a just, inclusive and sustainable transition.” Governments are already putting in place strong frameworks for land restoration and drought preparedness. The next step is mobilizing investment at the scale required. As in many regions, financial constraints limit the ability to direct sustained funding toward land and water systems. Expanding access to diverse financing — public, private, and community-based — will be essential to unlocking the region’s full potential. Panama’s leadership in land, water and climate action Panama illustrates how deeply land, water and economic stability are interconnected. Its forests and watersheds sustain biodiversity, local livelihoods, and a Canal that carries 6 per cent of global trade. Few countries show more clearly how environmental stewardship supports national and global economies. The country’s Nature Pledge brings together land, biodiversity, and climate action in a single strategic vision. It demonstrates how nature-based solutions can serve communities while advancing national development goals and the objectives of all three Rio Conventions. And since the relocation of the UNCCD regional office to Panama City in early 2024, cooperation among Latin American and Caribbean nations has deepened, strengthening the region’s ability to accelerate collective action. A region shaping the path to COP17 The perspectives surfaced in Panama will help inform the region’s contribution to the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UNCCD, taking place in Ulaanbaatar from 17 to 28 August 2026. Drought resilience, rangelands, Indigenous leadership and restoration finance will be central themes — and Latin America and the Caribbean, marked by both vulnerability and immense restoration potential, will play a decisive role. A shared message emerged strongly: land restoration begins with people. As the UNCCD Executive Secretary emphasized: “You cannot protect land without protecting the people who care for it — the women, youth, Indigenous custodians, farmers and herders. If we want healthier land, we must strengthen the rights, resources and opportunities of the communities who depend on it.” Her message resonated in Panama, reinforcing the region’s recognition that resilient landscapes are rooted in resilient communities. Looking forward A common direction is taking shape: restoring land, strengthening drought resilience and placing communities at the center of action. From the Amazon to the Andes, from the Dry Corridor to the Caribbean Sea, Latin America and the Caribbean are working toward a future where healthy land supports thriving communities — and where regional leadership helps guide global action toward COP17 and beyond.  

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is proud to celebrate a historic moment as its Executive Secretary, Dr. Yasmine Fouad, has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Sustainability Medal by the Nobel Sustainability Trust, one of the world’s most distinguished recognitions for leadership in sustainability.This honor reflects more than two decades of Dr. Fouad’s contributions to environmental governance, climate resilience, and community-centered development across Africa, the Arab region, and the world. It also underscores the growing international appreciation for the work of the UNCCD, as land restoration, drought resilience, and sustainable livelihoods become increasingly central to global environmental and development agendas.From the beginning of her career, Dr. Fouad has been driven by a simple but powerful belief: sustainability must begin with people. Her journey has taken her from scientific research in Egypt’s most vulnerable communities, to leading global negotiations, to shaping national environmental policy as Egypt’s Minister of Environment. Throughout this path, she has consistently emphasized that land is not only an ecological asset, but the foundation of human dignity, stability, and opportunity.Her leadership has always been shaped by her human story as much as her professional achievements. She often recalls a moment at the 2018 UN Biodiversity Conference when one of her sons walked into the negotiation hall, approached the podium, and placed his hands on the gavel as delegates applauded. It was, she says, a reminder that while leaders negotiate for agreements, children negotiate for their future. This intergenerational sense of responsibility continues to define her approach to sustainability and diplomacy.Today, the world faces unprecedented pressures on land and water. A quarter of the planet’s land is degraded, droughts are intensifying, and millions of people are losing the resources they depend on. Under Dr. Fouad’s leadership, UNCCD has strengthened its efforts to reverse these trends by elevating land restoration as a pathway to resilience, by advancing more inclusive approaches to drought preparedness, and by ensuring that the voices of women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and rural communities shape global action.Her tenure has also ushered in renewed momentum toward key global milestones. The Tafa’ul Process, inspired by the spirit of constructive optimism, is guiding a fresh dialogue on drought resilience. The upcoming COP17 in Mongolia is expected to deepen commitments to land stewardship, particularly as the world observes the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists in 2026.As she accepted the award, Dr. Fouad dedicated it to the women who rebuild their communities in silence, to the young people who refuse to inherit despair, to the workers who transform scarcity into creativity, and to the families who choose hope every day. Her words capture the heart of the UNCCD’s mission: that sustainability is not purely technical work, but work grounded in humanity, in livelihoods, in cultural heritage, and in the right of every person to thrive on healthy, productive land.Her recognition arrives at a pivotal moment for global environmental action. As the world seeks solutions that are equitable, resilient, and just, Dr. Fouad’s leadership offers a model of diplomacy that is principled, compassionate, and grounded in real-world experience. Her story is a reminder that environmental stewardship is not solely about restoring ecosystems, but about restoring hope and opportunity for communities everywhere.UNCCD extends its warmest congratulations to Dr. Yasmine Fouad for this extraordinary achievement. The Convention looks forward to continuing its work under her guidance as it supports countries and communities in building a more resilient, humane, and sustainable future.

The Riyadh Action Agenda moves forward with initiatives like the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership and the Drought Resilience Investment FacilityThe Indigenous Peoples Caucus and the Gender Caucus rise as powerful voices in the UNCCD processNew reports put Small Island Developing States and rangelands on the spotlight in the lead-up to COP17 Bonn/Panama City, 5 December 2025 –  Coinciding with World Soil Day, the meeting marking the halfway point between the United Nations land conferences in Riyadh and Ulaanbaatar came to a close in Panama, after five days of engaged dialogue on progress in addressing the global loss of fertile soils, land degradation and drought. The 197 Parties convening at the 23rd session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC23) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) prepared the groundwork for the upcoming land conference that will take place in Mongolia in 2026, where nations will be called to protect the world’s precious land and water resources as the global demand for food and energy continues to soar. As part of the road from Riyadh to Ulaanbaatar, delegates and non-state actors exchanged on how to advance the Action Agenda that emerged from COP16, including the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership and the Drought Resilience Investment Facility. At the center of discussions was how best to leverage new cooperation and financial frameworks to mobilize private and bilateral funding for land and drought action on the ground.  Additionally, they laid the foundation for the resumption of the negotiations of a global drought framework at COP17, which will take place in August 2026. The Tafa’ul process, the first of three informal and voluntary dialogues on the matter led by the COP16 Presidency, made progress in building the trust between the Parties ahead of the talks in Mongolia. CRIC23 also saw progress in the operationalization of the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, which approved its governance system and presented an action plan to support around 70 countries in reducing their vulnerability to one of the world’s most deadly and costly hazards.  Other highlights were the meeting of the Gender Caucus, created at COP15 in Abidjan and included in the official agenda for the first time this year as a space for shaping gender-responsive land policy; the Youth Caucus, and the first official meeting of the Indigenous Peoples Caucus, created at COP16, which called for meaningful involvement in land and drought policy and programmes at the multilateral and national levels.  During CRIC23, parties assessed progress on issues like capacity building, reporting, gender, land tenure and the implementation of voluntary Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets. UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad underscored the power of multilateralism and, speaking on behalf of the UNCCD Secretariat, reaffirmed the determination to help countries translate political commitments into clear outcomes forpeople and the planet: “National drought and land degradation neutrality plans without finance remain words on paper.  Our mission now is to unlock financing and investments for protection, restoration and resilience, including from the private sector, so countries can deliver real change on the ground. From Panama to Ulaanbaatar, we must keep the momentum and ensure that commitments translate into action.”   Indigenous and women’s voices Participants in the first meeting of the Indigenous Peoples Caucus emphasized their role as land stewards. Together, representatives from around the world called for a say in decision making, for a recognition of their millennial wisdom, and for access to finance. Meanwhile, work is underway to convene the first Local Communities Caucus, created at COP16. “Indigenous peoples gathered here know what we want from COP17,” said Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Coordinator of the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT). “We want to be heard in the process —not as observers, but as participants. We want to have direct access to finance to implement COP17 decisions in our territories. We want our ancestral knowledge to be integrated into science discussions. Indigenous people are not a box to check. We are an essential voice in ensuring that the land will continue sustaining humanity in the years to come.”  The Gender Caucus brought attention to the leadership of Indigenous women in sustainable land management and the gendered impacts of sand and dust storms with a view to informing gender-responsive recommendations emerging from UNCCD processes. Additionally, women from developing countries hit by drought received negotiation training in preparation for COP17 through the Women Delegates Fund —a  step forward since women represented only 33 per cent of delegates at the last CRIC session.  All meetings were supported by UN Volunteers, who will also facilitate COP17 as the world marks the 2026 the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY 2026) to recognize their contributions. Small islands, vast rangelands A new UNCCD information brief highlighted that every inch of land is vital for the survival of Small Islands Developing States (SIDS), which are facing growing impacts from drought and the loss of arable land. The SIDS’ land area affected by at least six months of extreme drought per year has increased to 17 per cent in the 2014–2023, up from 2 per cent between 1961–1970. Meanwhile, urbanization, unsustainable agriculture and extractive industries are fueling land degradation in some of the world’s smallest, more isolated and poorest territories, which are among the most vulnerable to climate change.  Another brief revealed that restoring rangelands delivers some of the strongest returns of any ecosystem investment, with benefits reaching up to USD 35 for every dollar invested, according to preliminary findings of a global cost–benefit analysis by the Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative.  Both reports will be presented in full at COP17 in Mongolia, coinciding with the International Year on Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) and as SIDS are coming together to speak with a unified voice in the UNCCD process about their unique challenges and opportunities. From Riyadh to Mongolia In December 2024, at COP16 in Riyadh, Parties adopted the first major decision on agricultural lands; emphasized the need to engage the private sector through the Business4Land initiative; and mobilized billions for land and drought action in the world’s most vulnerable countries. That legacy is being carried onwards to COP17. The gathering in Panama advanced the FAO-led consultation to develop guidance on COP’s landmark decision on avoiding, reducing and reversing land and soil degradation of agricultural lands. The document, which will target decision-makers and practitioners, will offer nations context-specific pathways to addressing the loss of fertile land ---crucial to achieve LDN goals, since around 60 per cent of degradation occurs in agricultural lands.  H.E. Osama Faqeeha, Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UNCCD COP16 Presidency, said: “As UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, ‘We live on land and we live off land, but we treat it like dirt.’ It is high time we value it for what it is worth. CRIC23 has been an opportunity to maintain the momentum for land and drought on the road from Riyadh to Ulaanbaatar, and to align efforts on innovation and finance for present and future generations.” Mr. Batmunkh Dondovdorj, Special Advisor to the Minister and Chairman of upcoming COP17 Presidency National Office, declared: “Looking ahead, our goal as the incoming Presidency is to help deliver a COP that is inclusive, balanced, scientifically informed, and oriented toward practical solutions. A COP that reflects regional diversity, strengthens cooperation across sectors, brings together governments, scientists, youth, women, Indigenous Peoples, communities, and partners, and advances tangible progress toward land degradation neutrality and drought resilience.” Notes to Editors Visual assets about CRIC23 and the UNCCD Data Dashboard are available here: https://trello.com/b/zq0kxtkK/unccd-cric23-panama-2025 Additional information on the Convention and CRIC 23 are available on the UNCCD website: https://www.unccd.int/cric23 About UNCCD The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the global vision and voice for land. We unite governments, scientists, policymakers, private sector and communities around a shared vision and global action to restore and manage the world’s land for the sustainability of humanity and the planet. Much more than an international treaty signed by 197 Parties, UNCCD is a multilateral commitment to mitigating today’s impacts of land degradation and advancing tomorrow’s land stewardship in order to provide food, water, shelter and economic opportunity to all people in an equitable and inclusive manner. About CRIC23 Representatives of 196 countries and the European Union are meeting in Panama from 1-5 December 2025 to review their efforts against desertification, land degradation and drought under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) — one of the three Rio Conventions, alongside biodiversity and climate. The 23rd session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 23) to the UNCCD is convening some 500 delegates from governments, civil society, and academia to assess progress in advancing the Convention’s objectives.  

Final Press Release – CRIC23 A closing press release will be issued summarizing the outcomes of CRIC23. It will be published on the UNCCD website and shared with all accredited media. NO CLOSING PRESS CONFERENCE There will be no closing press conference. Journalists may contact UNCCD Communications for interviews or clarifications. Comunicado Final – CRIC23 Se emitirá un comunicado de prensa final que resumirá los resultados de CRIC23. Será publicado en el sitio web de la CNULD y compartido con todos los medios acreditados. SIN CONFERENCIA DE PRENSA DE CLAUSURA No habrá conferencia de prensa de clausura. Los periodistas pueden contactar a la Oficina de Comunicación de la CNULD para entrevistas o aclaraciones.  

Jimmy Mariscal grew up in the hills of the Panama Canal Basin, where coffee bushes were simply part of daily life. His grandparents tended their caracolillo plants for home use, drying the cherries in the sun and brewing just enough for the family. Coffee was tradition, not livelihood ---a practice handed down quietly through generations.  Today, Jimmy is one of thousands of small producers who have benefited from a long-term partnership between Basin communities and the Panama Canal Authority (ACP). Over two decades, this collaboration has helped farmers shift from traditional plots to climate-resilient agroforestry systems that protect biodiversity, stabilize soil, and conserve water resources.  The Basin today is the result of decades of community-led stewardship and ACP support --a more resilient and sustainably managed landscape. This long-term partnership led Yasmine Fouad, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), to the Panama Canal’s Miraflores Visitors Center on 3 December, during a field visit organized by ACP and the Ministry of Environment of Panama. There, she met Jimmy and the members of Cuencafé, a collective of small producers who grow and process high-quality, climate-resilient coffee. The visit provided a close look at how community-led stewardship supports rural livelihoods while protecting the freshwater system that sustains the Canal. Producers described how the transformation began. ACP understood early on that protecting the Canal’s water depended on the health of the surrounding land —and on the people who care for it. Without authority to enforce conservation, the institution built a model centered on support and incentives. Drawing inspiration from Costa Rica’s experience in rewarding farmers who protect forests, ACP adapted the idea to the Basin, offering producers practical support — from seedlings and technical advice to land titles and community councils that shape decisions. This steady, trust-based partnership strengthened over time. As Raúl Martínez, ACP’s Manager for Socio-Environmental Sustainability, explained: “When restoration helps families improve their livelihoods, it becomes a responsibility everyone shares — and the land stays protected.” Thanks to this incentive-based model - and especially to the introduction of coffee as a viable, high-value crop - farmers gained a reason to keep trees standing and invest in agroforestry systems that conserve soil and water. These choices ultimately made the Panama Canal Basin one of the least-deforested landscapes in the country today. Jimmy’s farm reflects that shift. Supported by community development activities and technical assistance, he introduced improved coffee varieties, planted shade trees, cared for his soil and refined drying and processing techniques. What once served only family needs has become a climate-smart system that supports both income generation and ecosystem health. As more families joined the effort, they formed Cuencafé, whose coffee now reaches Panama City markets. Their agroforestry systems help regulate water and buffer the Basin against intensifying drought — a contribution that matters in a country where 32 per cent of the land — 2.37 million hectares — is already degraded. During the visit, the Executive Secretary listened as producers described how shifting rainfall and rising temperatures have altered their work. She asked in detail about the challenges they now face - how rain has moved, how water scarcity affects planting, and how soils are changing. Farmers explained that years of land restoration -expanding forest cover, diversifying crops and protecting soils - have allowed them to retain water and maintain production, even as drought becomes more common. “What I see here is restoration that works because it begins with people,” said UNCCD Executive Secretary Yasmine Fouad. “When communities are trusted and supported as stewards of their land, they protect the soils that anchor the hillsides, the waters that feed the Canal, and the dignity of the families who rely on both.  The impact extends far beyond individual farms — it strengthens the entire Basin and the generations that will inherit it.” Today, that transformation is visible across the basin. A practice once kept alive for household consumption now helps conserve water, sustain rural economies, and protect one of the most strategic landscapes in the country. What began as small plots of shade-grown coffee has grown into a model of community-driven climate resilience. As Panama hosts UNCCD CRIC23 — the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention, a moment when countries come together to reflect on how they care for their land — the Basin shows how restoration grounded in a long-term partnership, trust,  and community leadership endures, restoring far more than land alone. 

New evidence shows rangelands are degrading faster than rainforests in some regions, despite bringing multiple benefits and sustaining two billion people Bonn/Panama City, 4 December 2025 – Stretching from the drylands of Latin America and Africa to the steppes of Central Asia, rangelands underpin food security, climate stability and centuries-old pastoral cultures. These vast landscapes, covering half the planet, store significant carbon, buffer climate extremes, and regulate water in some of the world’s driest regions.  Yet, despite their immense value, rangelands remain one of the planet’s most overlooked ecosystems. In several regions, they are now deteriorating faster than rainforests--with serious implications for food security, climate resilience, and rural livelihoods. Restoring rangelands delivers some of the strongest returns of any ecosystem investment, with benefits reaching up to USD 35 for every dollar invested.  These new preliminary findings of a global cost–benefit analysis conducted by the Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) Initiative were presented today at this year’s UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) meeting underway in Panama — the 23rd session of the Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention (CRIC23). UNCCD Chief Scientist Barron Joseph Orr explains: “The analysis confirms what many pastoralist communities have long known: rangelands are strategic ecological and economic assets, not marginal lands. These gains come from higher vegetation productivity, deeper carbon storage, stronger water retention, and avoided degradation.” “The urgency is evident. Between 25 and 50 per cent of the world’s rangelands are degraded or at risk, weakening water cycles, livestock productivity, biodiversity and rural livelihoods. In regions such as the Sahel, Central Asia and parts of South America, climate pressures are already shrinking productivity and restricting pastoralist mobility - with knock-on effects for food security,” Orr said. Mark Schauer, Senior Programme Officer with the German Development Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ), which coordinates the ELD Initiative, said: “Rangeland restoration makes economic and ecological sense. By strengthening the evidence base and partnering with pastoralist communities, we can help countries design investments that unlock long-term resilience.” For more than a decade, the ELD Initiative has equipped governments with evidence on the real economic value of healthy land - and the steep losses caused by degradation. Its new discussion paper, The Business Case for Investment in Rangeland Restoration, presented at CRIC23, will be followed by a full assessment at UNCCD COP17 in Mongolia next August.  “A growing body of evidence confirms that rangelands — long dismissed as marginal or ‘empty' spaces — are in fact central to climate action, food and water security and sustainable rural development. With the full economic assessment expected ahead of COP17, CRIC23 has strengthened the technical and political foundations needed to scale up investment in these vast, life-sustaining landscapes,” adds Schauer. Experts stressed that effective rangeland restoration does not depend on costly engineering. It requires secure land and water rights, community-led governance and sustainable, mobility-based grazing. When pastoralists can move with seasonal conditions, vegetation rebounds faster, soils hold more moisture and carbon stocks remain stable. This approach also strengthens the resilience of Indigenous Peoples, women, youth and others whose livelihoods and cultural identities are deeply tied to rangelands. CRIC23 takes place as countries prepare for the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP) 2026, declared by the United Nations General Assembly. The IYRP is expected to bring unprecedented visibility to rangelands, pastoralists and their knowledge systems. “Pastoralists have cared for these lands for generations. Their knowledge, mobility and stewardship are essential for restoring rangelands and building resilience. As the world prepares for the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, we must ensure that pastoralist communities are not only heard but also supported as partners in climate and environmental sustainability actions,” said Enrique Michaud, Co-Chair of the IYRP Global Alliance. “Mongolia is a nation shaped by rangelands and pastoral traditions. We know from experience that when rangelands thrive, communities thrive. As we prepare to host COP17, our one of high priorities is to elevate rangelands on the global agenda and ensure that countries have the evidence, partnerships and investment needed to restore these vital ecosystems at scale.” notes Ariuntuya Dorjsuren, Director General for International Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Environment and Climate change, NFP of Mongolia. UNCCD is contributing to IYRP through its Rangeland Flagship Initiative and the Silk Road campaign planned for 2026, which will showcase rangeland landscapes and pastoralist cultures across the 6,000-kilometer journey spanning 10 countries. These efforts build on political momentum from COP16 in Riyadh to COP17 in Ulaanbaatar, aligning recent and upcoming COP Presidencies around elevating rangelands as a global climate and livelihood priority. List of resources GLO Thematic Report on Rangelands and PastoralistsPrioritizing the protection of grasslands and savannahsEconomics of rangeland restoration