SDG 15: Life on land
![SDG 15](/sites/default/files/styles/width_1186px_testata/public/2024-06/15.png.jpg?itok=QF9Prc3L)
Sustainable Development Goal 15 of the 2030 Agenda focuses on protecting, restoring, and promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, managing forests sustainably, combating desertification, halting and reversing land degradation, and halting biodiversity loss.
Terrestrial ecosystems, including forests, wetlands, mountains, and drylands, provide essential services for life on Earth, such as air and water purification, climate regulation, soil formation, and nutrient cycling. However, these ecosystems face severe threats from human activities, such as deforestation, land degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change.
The specific targets of SDG 15 include:
- Ensure the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services.
- Sustainably manage forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests, and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.
- Combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought, and floods.
- Ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, to enhance their capacity to provide essential benefits for sustainable development.
- Significantly reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity, and protect threatened species from extinction.
- Promote fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote appropriate access to such resources.
Achieving these targets requires global and local cooperation, community involvement, effective policy implementation, and the adoption of sustainable practices in agriculture, forestry, and natural resource management.