Abstract
South Asia, home to over two billion people, is the world’s most populous and densely inhabited region. Its forests play vital roles in carbon storage, biodiversity conservation, water regulation, and rural livelihoods but face mounting pressures from population growth, agriculture, urbanization, and climate change. Heavy dependence on fuelwood further accelerates degradation. In response, countries across the region have initiated ambitious restoration programs aligned with global commitments and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Here, we synthesized the articles published in the Special Issue (SI) titled – Restoring South Asian Forests, covering India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The regional and country-level case studies presented in this SI underscore critical lessons. Nepal’s 65-year restoration experience highlights the value of decentralization, community engagement, and recognition of forest multifunctionality. Post-2015 earthquake recovery demonstrates that natural regeneration often outperforms costly artificial interventions. In India, individual-led initiatives, like Padmashree Jadav Payeng’s Brahmaputra sandbar forest, illustrate how sustained, science-guided efforts can deliver outsized ecological and societal benefits. Research from Bangladesh and Pakistan further stresses the importance of secure land tenure, inclusive governance, and community participation for lasting restoration success. Despite progress, knowledge gaps persist regarding long-term ecological and socio-economic effects and the comparative effectiveness of restoration approaches. Advancing restoration in South Asia will require integrated, participatory, and landscape-level strategies that merge indigenous knowledge, science, and advanced monitoring to deliver enduring biodiversity, carbon, and livelihood co-benefits.