It has been well recognized that the maintenance of ecosystem functions and natural resources are vital for human well-being. Yet, many of the world’s 1.2 billion poorest people cannot benefit from nature’s goods and services because of severe environmental degradation. Deterioration of the natural environment perpetuates cycles of poverty by resulting in low food production from exhausted soils; lack of freshwater due to over-exploitation, siltation or contamination; loss of resources such as medicinal plants and fuelwood; and increased vulnerability to natural hazards. Such ecological problems may be further amplified by climate change, which is predicted to disproportionately impact poor and thus more vulnerable populations. Therefore, the restoration of ecosystems and their vital functions should be a priority in the global quest to eradicate extreme poverty and mitigate the impacts of climate change on the world’s most vulnerable people. In the context of poverty reduction and the Millennium Development Goals, restoration of ecosystems must aim to restore the structures and functions of pristine habitat as well as the goods and services that people depend upon for subsistence. Furthermore, restoration plans must be designed in the context of a changing physical environment.