Protect Our Planet: Urgent Action for Forests and Biodiversity

Sustainable Development Goal 15 seeks to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. Preserving diverse forms of life on land requires targeted efforts to protect, restore and promote the conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial and other ecosystems. Goal 15 focuses specifically on managing forests sustainably, restoring degraded lands and successfully combating desertification, reducing degraded natural habitats and ending biodiversity loss.

Human life depends on the earth as much as the ocean for our sustenance and livelihoods. Plant life provides 80 percent of the human diet, and we rely on agriculture as an important economic resources. Forests cover 30 percent of the Earth’s surface, provide vital habitats for millions of species, and important sources for clean air and water, as well as being crucial for combating climate change.

Every year, 13 million hectares of forests are lost, while the persistent degradation of drylands has led to the desertification of 3.6 billion hectares, disproportionately affecting poor communities.

While 15 percent of land is protected, biodiversity is still at risk. Nearly 7,000 species of animals and plants have been illegally traded. Wildlife trafficking not only erodes biodiversity, but creates insecurity, fuels conflict, and feeds corruption.

Urgent action must be taken to reduce the loss of natural habitats and biodiversity which are part of our common heritage and support global food and water security, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and peace and security.

Forests contain three-fourths of the Earth's plant biomass

• Thanks to satellites it has been possible to obtain measurements on the fires in Australia in early January 2015, where 125 km2 were burned.

• Space can help monitoring forests and drylands to understand the effectiveness of the policies to combat desertification and deforestation. 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.

• Drought has caused a loss of 2.3 million sq km in the last three decades and causes annual losses of 9 billion USD per year.

It is possible to derive from Earth observation satellites a series of bio and geophysical products on the status and evolution of the land surface on a global scale and a set of biophysical variables describing the state, the dynamism and the disturbances of terrestrial vegetation at mid and low spatial resolution. These products are used to monitor vegetation, the water cycle and energy budget.