15. Life on land
Forests cover 30 per cent of the Earth’s surface and in addition to providing food security and shelter, forests are key to combating climate change, protecting biodiversity and the homes of the indigenous population. Thirteen million hectares of forests are being lost every year while the persistent degradation of drylands has led to the desertification of 3.6 billion hectares.
Deforestation and desertification – caused by human activities and climate change – pose major challenges to sustainable development and have affected the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in the fight against poverty. Efforts are being made to manage forests and combat desertification.
Read our stories to learn more about SDG Goal 15: Life on land
To adopt SDG 15 Life on land, in support of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, please contact us at partners@eco-business.com
Adopt this goalNews
Carbon & Climate
Seeing mangroves regrow: A visual story on the surprise resurgence of Iloilo’s coastal forests
On International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, Eco-Business looks at the unexpected rapid growth of a thriving mangrove forest in Iloilo City, Philippines, following the completion of a man-made floodway.
On June 15, the government of Pará state in Brazil gave the green light for the construction of the new Avenida Liberdade highway in the state capital, Belém, that will split up two conservation areas and run past a traditional Afro-Brazilian community.
Policy & Finance
Jailing local wildlife poachers will not help deliver environmental justice: Thai judge Suntariya Muanpawong
Thailand is still used as a hub for wildlife trafficking networks, and Muanpawong tells Eco-Business that judicial innovation is needed to address the transboundary nature of wildlife trade. Putting the poor in prisons doesn't help, she says.
Food & Agriculture
Sabah is creating forest corridors to save the now-endangered Borneo elephants. Will they work?
Elephant encroachment into plantation estates remain a recurring problem, Eco-Business observes on a recent visit to Sukau, Kinabatangan, where forested areas have been fragmented by thousands of hectares of oil palm sites.
Opinion
Policy & Finance
Rich countries must meet their biodiversity financing pledges
Two years ago, developed countries pledged at least US$20 billion annually by 2025 to help preserve 30 per cent of the world’s land and oceans. But most countries have failed to contribute their fair share.
Carbon & Climate
Habitat destruction hurting more than climate change
Habitat destruction and modification harms biodiversity, and compounds the impacts of climate change and other threats to wildlife.
To avoid floods, Indian cities need to engage in nuanced, localised and comprehensive planning and development decisions.
Food & Agriculture
Rising temperatures threaten India’s wheat production
Yields of the country’s second most important food staple have declined significantly in the past two years.
Food & Agriculture
The future of sustainability in the palm oil industry will be Asian led
Videos
The Green Mortician is the city-state's first water cremation service, which has a small carbon footprint compared to traditional funeral options.
Carbon & Climate
Lending forests a voice with primatologist Andie Ang
Amid competing concerns such as urban development and tackling climate change, keeping biodiversity conservation in people's minds can be a challenge. Eco-Business asks primatologist Andie Ang how that can be tackled.
Carbon & Climate
Climate spiral: what 141 years of global warming looks like
As planetary temperatures reach an all-time high, a climate scientist has designed a new way to show how global temperatures have changed every month since the start of the industrial revolution and 2021.
Food & Agriculture
Pandemics and the exploitation of wildlife — what’s the connection?
The origin of Covid-19 is believed to be a market selling live wild animals. Eco-Business asked Anbarasi Boopal of Singapore-based animal welfare charity Acres about the link between the exploitation of animals and pandemics, and what can be done to curb the illegal wildlife trade.
Podcasts
Carbon & Climate
‘A 1.1°C warmer world is already a matter of life and death’: Climate scientist Winston Chow
The Singapore scientist, recently elected to the UN's top climate body, tells the Eco-Business Podcast about the precarious state of climate adaptation in developing Asia. The region is not well-prepared to manage the cascading risks of extreme climate events, he says.
The stories of Malaysia’s indigenous tribes are now being captured through the fresh lenses of young female filmmakers. In this bilingual podcast recorded in English and Bahasa Melayu, they tell Eco-Business why they've picked up the camera.
Food & Agriculture
Plant-based protein – fad or the future?
EB Studio
The booming alternative protein sector has experienced turbulence this year. The Eco-Business Podcast asks if growth in plant-based meat alternatives can go the distance.
Food & Agriculture
Food crisis: how to build resilient supply chains in Asia
EB Studio
Dexter Huerto Jr of engineering firm Danfoss tells the Eco-Business Podcast how food supply chains have been affected by a pandemic and conflict, and how they can be fixed.
