Goal 15. Land

ICTs can play a significant role in the conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and the prevention of the loss of biodiversity – notably through improved monitoring and reporting which leads to increased accountability. Satellite-based monitoring delivers timely and accurate data on a global basis, while local sensors can deliver on the spot updates in real-time. Big data can be used to analyse short- and long-term trends in terms of biodiversity, pollution, weather patterns and ecosystem evolution, and to plan mitigation activities.

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Case study – Kuwait

In Kuwait, the Environment Public Authority (EPA) has established the Official Environmental Portal, Beatona.net, a GIS-based web portal aiming to share authentic environmental information with the public. Beatona.net (‘our environment’ in Arabic) offers information about Kuwait’s environment from various national, regional and international organizations on a single platform. It helps to raise awareness of the value of the environment and the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. The public can also participate and interact directly in the preservation and protection of the environment by reporting environmental phenomena and problems.
Related links:
Beatona and WSIS Stocktaking

Sound Bites

"We owe it to ourselves and to the next generation to conserve the environment so that we can bequeath our children a sustainable world that benefits all."

Wangari Maathai
Kenyan Environmental Activist

"Farmers are the only indispensable people on the face of the earth."

Li Zhaoxing
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, China

Blogs
Stats
Goal & Targets SDG-15

130,000 square kilometres of forests are cut down or burned every year – equivalent to three times the area of Denmark. The rapid loss of species we are seeing today is estimated by experts to be between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than the natural extinction rate.¹

¹ Source: theworldcounts.org / wwf

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

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, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are 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 the 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.