Small-scale, local land restoration brings numerous benefits to people, nature, and climate, but monitoring these projects at scale has been limited by a lack of cost-effective technologies and methods. This guidebook provides an overview of one field-tested approach to monitoring, reporting, and verifying the outputs of small- and medium-scale restoration. It was created and refined through TerraFund, a restoration financing program convened by WRI and its partners, but other stakeholders are encouraged to adapt this approach across contexts.

By sharing a simple, standardized method to monitor many local projects, this guidebook seeks to strengthen transparency, accountability, and efficiency in restoration. Most importantly, WRI hopes that this approach will empower and elevate the restoration work of local implementers and communities delivering ecological, climatic, and socio-economic benefits.

Executive Summary:

Land restoration has the potential to bring life back to degraded land, improving biodiversity, food security, agricultural productivity, and climate resilience, as well as provide livelihood opportunities and socio-economic benefits. Without the tools to monitor, report, and verify implementation and outputs, however, land restoration remains underfunded. The MRV approach described in this guidebook aims to enable small and medium-size restoration organizations to demonstrate the environmental, socio-economic, and financial benefits of their projects and attract the finance necessary to scale their impact. 

This approach was developed and tested in the context of TerraFund, a restoration financing and technical assistance program, and created in partnership with Conservation International, One Tree Planted, and Realize Impact. TerraFund provides grant, debt, and equity funding and capacity-strengthening support to medium- and growth-stage organizations across Africa. While strict bounds are not placed on the exact size of restoration projects, project totals can range from 20 hectares (ha) to over 10,000 ha. Individual plots or polygons may be fewer than 10 ha.

The framework captures quantitative and qualitative data about project progress and lessons learned using nine indicator categories, novel technologies including remote sensing methods, and its online platform, TerraMatch. TerraFund MRV brings together this set of tested biophysical, socioeconomic, and financial indicators, geospatial data models and analysis, an integrated digital platform for reporting and result sharing, and targeted assistance for project developers. This framework is also designed to be cost-efficient. WRI estimates that for the first 198 projects funded through TerraFund, the novel approach to counting and verifying trees—enabled by remote sensing technology and artificial intelligence—could save an estimated $4 million. This represents an estimated 98 percent reduction in cost per hectare compared to traditional inventories. 

This guidebook provides a resource for existing project partners, who can reference this document to understand the purpose and methods behind project monitoring requirements, and address questions they may have about the TerraFund approach. It also provides transparency and awareness of the TerraFund MRV framework for funders and partners.

While these indicators and methods were designed specifically for the TerraFund context, WRI has already started adapting this framework for the Harit Bharat Fund in India and Fundo Flora in Brazil, two WRI-managed restoration financing and technical assistance programs similar to TerraFund. As more organizations and funders recognize the potential of restoration to support environmental, social, and climate goals, this guidebook is one resource they can draw on and adapt as needed to their contexts.