SDG 15 pulls its centre focus towards protecting, restoring and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably managing forests, and combating desertification in attempts to halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. Life on land includes both animals and plants alike. The continued global deforestation, land and ecosystem degradation, and biodiversity loss pose major risks to human survival and sustainable development as a whole. It is evident from our previous discussions that progress with this particular SDG is uneven. We may primarily be concerned with the green life on our soils like forests, however, it is important to note that there are serious concerns regarding wildlife as well.
Over 40,000 species are documented to be on the verge of extinction over the coming decade according to the United Nations. With these alarming numbers, the question that may be in your mind may be how the lives of wild animals affect the environment. A few reports have shown that adding wild animals into the ecosystem can slow the warming climate and help control climate change. While this is a rising concern, another point of concern with this particular SDG is the fact that there has been a decline in biodiversity in different countries. We shall discuss the ecosystem and biodiversity in another blog.
According to the United Nations, about 10 million hectares of forest are destroyed every year and about 90% of global deforestation is due to agricultural expansion. This is an interesting piece considering that agriculture is a primary activity for our sustenance. A great amount of strain has been placed on our country’s forests because of the increased demand for firewood, the push for agricultural expansion, and expanding land settlement. With our country having one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world, this specific SDG affects us directly. As per usual, we must outline the different targets and indicators to see how this vision may come to life.
TARGETS AND INDICATORS.
- To 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 by 2020.
i) Forest area as a proportion of total land area
ii) That the proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered by protected areas of an ecosystem type.
- To promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally by 2020.
i) Progress towards sustainable forest management.
- To combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world by 2030.
i) The proportion of land that is degraded over the total land area.
- To ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development.
i) Coverage by protected areas of important sites for mountain biodiversity.
ii) Mountain Green Cover Index.
- To 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.
- To 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.
i) Number of countries that have adopted legislative, administrative and policy frameworks to ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits.
- To take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both the demand and supply of illegal wildlife products.
ii) The proportion of traded wildlife that was poached or illicitly trafficked
- To 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 by 2020.
i) The proportion of countries adopting relevant national legislation and adequately resourcing the prevention or control of invasive alien species.
- To integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts.
(a) The number of countries that have established national targets following or similar to Aichi Biodiversity Target 2 of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 in their national biodiversity strategy and action plans and the progress reported towards these targets; and
(b) The integration of biodiversity into national accounting and reporting systems, defined as the implementation of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting
- To mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems.
(a) Official development assistance on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and
(b) revenue generated and finance mobilized from biodiversity-relevant economic instruments
- To 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
(a) Official development assistance on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and
(b) revenue generated and finance mobilized from biodiversity-relevant economic instruments.
- To 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.
i) The proportion of traded wildlife that was poached or illicitly trafficked
“You cannot save the land apart from the people, or the people apart from the land.”
– Wendell Berry