Sustainable Development Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Goal 15 aims to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

Human life depends on the earth as much as the ocean for our sustenance and livelihoods. Plant life provides 80 percent of our human diet, and we rely on agriculture as an important economic resource and means of development. Forests account for 30 percent of the Earth’s surface, providing vital habitats for millions of species and important sources for clean air and water; as well as being crucial for combating climate change.

Today, we are seeing unprecedented land degradation, and the loss of arable land at 30 to 35 times the historical rate. Drought and desertification is also on the rise each year, amounting to the loss of 12 million hectares and affects poor communities globally. Of the 8,300 animal breeds known, 8 percent are extinct and 22 percent are at risk of extinction.

The SDGs aim to conserve and restore the use of terrestrial ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, drylands and mountains by 2020. Halting deforestation is also vital to mitigating the impact of climate change. Urgent action must be taken to reduce the loss of natural habitats and biodiversity which are part of our common heritage.

Worth noting is that human life depends on the earth as much as the ocean for our sustenance and livelihoods. Plant life provides 80 percent of our human diet, and we rely on agriculture as an important economic resource and means of development. Forests account for 30 percent of the Earth’s surface, providing vital habitats for millions of species and important sources for clean air and water; as well as being crucial for combating climate change.

Terrestrial ecosystems provide a series of goods, raw materials for construction and energy, food and a series of ecosystem services including the capture of carbon, maintenance of soil quality, provision of habitat for biodiversity, maintenance of water quality, as well as regulation of water flow and erosion control, therefore contributing to reduce the risks of natural disasters such as floods and landslides, regulate climate and maintain the productivity of agricultural systems. Maintaining those ecosystems greatly support climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Data and Statistics / Facts and Figures:

1. Around 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihood.
2. Forests are home to more than 80 per cent of all terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects
3. 74 per cent of the poor are directly affected by land degradation globally.
4. Of the 8,300 animal breeds known, 8 per cent are extinct and 22 per cent are at risk of extinction
5. Over 80 per cent of the human diet is provided by plants. Only three cereal crops: rice, maize and wheat – provide 60 per cent of energy intake
6. As many as 80 per cent of people living in rural areas in developing countries rely on traditional plant-based medicines for basic healthcare.

Targets linked to the environment:

Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements.

Target 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.

Target 15.3: By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world.

Target 15.4: By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development.

Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.

Target 15.6: Promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed.

Target 15.7: Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products.

Target 15.8: By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species.

Target 15.9: By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts.

Target 15.a: Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems.

Target 15.b: Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation and reforestation.

Target 15.c: Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities.

Libraries support this goal by providing information about….

1. Proper use and management of life on land
2. Active restoration, conservation and protection
3. Fair and equitable benefit sharing
4. Ending poaching and trafficking of flora and fauna 
5. Preventing and reducing the impact of alien species 
6. Integrating ecosystem and biodiversity values into planning processes.

In conclusion, biodiversity loss, including species extinction, in forests and other terrestrial ecosystems has been on the global development agenda for many decades, and from as early as 1992 through the UN’s Agenda. This was also a focus of the earlier Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). However, progress on the sustainable use and preservation of terrestrial ecosystems has been uneven. Globally, forest loss has generally slowed, but biodiversity loss has been accelerating. Progress in each region varies but we must have global concerted efforts to deal with the challenge. 

A key element of SDG 15 is the conservation and sustainable use of inland biodiversity. This supports the healthy ecosystems that are crucial to the provision of the products (such as food and water) and services (such as climate regulation and aesthetic experiences) that also called environmental or ecosystem services. These ecosystem services are closely related to biodiversity, providing access to safe water and coping with the impacts of climate change. Biodiversity is central to the lives and well-being of at-risk populations, such as rural and indigenous communities. To achieve the key goal of the SDGs of leaving no-one behind, SDG 15 would ideally be implemented as soon and as effectively as possible, ensuring that the most affected communities are engaged in protecting biodiversity.

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