Preservation of land ecosystems

Protection, restoration of terrestrial ecosystems and promotion of their rational use, sustainable forest management, combating desertification, ending and reversing the process of land degradation and ending the process of loss of biological diversity.

Facts and figures Tasks useful links 307 projects

Forests

About 1.6 billion people, including 70 million indigenous peoples, depend on forests for their livelihoods.
Forests are home to more than 80 percent of terrestrial species of animals, plants, and insects.
Between 2010 and 2015, about 3.3 million hectares of forest land were lost. This affected the lives of rural women who depended on these resources.

Desertification

2.6 billion people depend directly on agriculture, yet 52 percent of agricultural land is moderately or severely affected by land degradation.
The loss of arable land is now 30 to 35 times greater than in the past.
Each year, due to drought and desertification, 12 million hectares of land (that is, 23 hectares per minute) are lost, land that could have produced 20 million tons of grain.
Land degradation directly affects 74 percent of the world’s poor.

Biodiversity

Environmental protection efforts continue to be undermined by poaching and illegal wildlife trade. It is estimated that such illegal markets involve about 120 countries and about 7,000 species.
Of the 8,300 known animal breeds, 8 percent are extinct and 22 percent are at risk of extinction.
Of more than 80,000 tree species, fewer than 1 percent have been studied for potential use.
About 20 percent of animal protein for 3 billion people comes from fish. 30 percent of marine catch is accounted for by just 10 species, and 50 percent of aquaculture production is provided by another 10 species.
More than 80 percent of the human diet is based on plants. 60 percent of calories come from just three cereal crops — rice, maize, and wheat.
Nearly 80 percent of the rural population in developing countries relies on traditional medicine based on herbs and plants.
Micro-organisms and invertebrates play a key role in ecosystem functioning, yet their importance remains poorly understood and underrecognized.
Ongoing land degradation in drylands has led to the desertification of 3.6 billion hectares.
Land degradation directly affects 74 percent of the world’s poor.

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.

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.

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.

15.4 By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, to enhance their capacity to provide benefits essential for sustainable development.

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.

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.

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.

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 priority species.

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

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

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.

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.

Convention on Biological Diversity

UN SWOD Programme

International Maritime Organization (IMO)

UN Biodiversity

Open School

SDG Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan

UN Women