Page 56 - AI for Good - Impact Report

AI for Good

Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land

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

Like other environmental SDGs, SDG 15 encounters
significant challenges, with only 2 out of 12 targets
372
currently on track. This lack of progress poses a threat
to biodiversity, with the world experiencing its largest
species extinction since the Cretaceous Period (dinosaur
age), ongoing forest loss, and land degradation. 373 Addi-
tionally, the lack of progress jeopardizes other SDGs, as
many communities rely on land safety and biodiversity for
survival, directly linking to climate change. 374

AI and SDG 15 Impact
According to a study on the impact of AI on
The connection between AI and SDG 15 is well-documented, with SDG 15, AI could act as an (positive) enabler
for 100% of the targets and act as an inhibi-
numerous UN use cases: 7 out of 40 in AI for Good: Innovate for tor (negative) for 33% of the targets. (Nature
Impact, 375 and approximately 45 use cases out of 408 in the UN Communications, 2020)
Activities on AI. 376 Particularly, there are several AI applications Use case 1
related to SDG 15 that include monitoring land-use change. 377 Land
Monitoring biodiversity status using AI to
use change refers to the change of typology of a specific land, such provide governments with improved infor-
as deforestation or desertification, 378 which is also often used as a mation on pathways to protect it.
proxy for biodiversity impact. 379 Using satellite images, AI can show
what is happening on the ground, thereby helping organizations
limit the deforestation of their activities, but also help governments
protect those areas. These solutions can also help with planning
land management and reforestation. 380 Additionally, AI can be
used to help count and monitor biodiversity. 381 For instance, AI
can analyze recorded forest noises or videos to identify the species
present, providing insights into the local ecosystem and animal
behaviors. This aids scientists in devising effective conservation link
strategies. Additionally, AI assists the government in anti-poaching
efforts by enabling rangers to optimize patrol routes using random- Use case 2
ization and historical data for enhanced efficiency and poacher Using AI to review deforestation to assure
deterrence. 382 to have precise information and make
informed decisions.
These use cases demonstrate the potential of AI to advance SDG
15, but it's crucial to establish guardrails to ensure mutual support
between AI and SDG 15. AI's potential for biodiversity preservation
must be balanced against the risk of exploitation by poachers or
other malicious actors. 383 Moreover, the development of AI hard-
ware solutions requires specific resources, which could impact
land use and contribute to pollution. 384 Similarly, the production
and marketing of goods using AI can drive land usage change and
biodiversity loss, highlighting the need for careful consideration of
AI's environmental impact. 385 link
Use case 3
Key Considerations for Stakeholders Implementing AI solutions to help the
government prevent poaching.
• International collaboration: Alignment on good prac-
tices around AI are important to make sure that all
actors can collaborate on those matters.
• Technology improvement: To reduce the quantity of
energy consumed would be imperative to support the
development of SDG 15, hence technologies with less
energy requirements should be prioritized. 386
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