The fifteenth Sustainable Development Goal aims to protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss. SDG 15 recognizes the importance of terrestrial ecosystems in supporting biodiversity, providing ecosystem services, and contributing to sustainable development.
SDG 15 emphasizes the need to conserve and restore ecosystems and biodiversity, ensuring the sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems. This includes combating desertification, restoring degraded land and soil, and halting biodiversity loss by protecting endangered species and preventing the extinction of threatened species.
Key targets under SDG 15 include ensuring the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, enhancing global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, and integrating ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies, and accounts. It also aims 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 sustainable development.
SDG 15 also focuses on promoting fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promoting appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed, and traditional knowledge as well as fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from their utilization, and enhancing the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, as well as from the use of natural resources.
Achieving SDG 15 is crucial for the overall 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as terrestrial ecosystems play a critical role in providing essential ecosystem services, such as clean air, water, and food, and supporting biodiversity and human well-being. By protecting and restoring terrestrial ecosystems, combating desertification, and halting biodiversity loss, we can ensure sustainable land use and promote resilience to climate change, contributing to the achievement of sustainable development goals
