Life on Land: Why It Matters

LIFE ON LAND: Around WHY IT MATTERS 1.6 billion people depend What’s the goal here? forests for their livelihood. Almost 75 per cent of the on To sustainably manage forests world’s poor are affected forests, combat deserti- directly by land degrada- for their fication, halt and reverse tion. Did you know that land degradation, and forests are home to more livelihood. halt biodiversity loss. than 80 per cent of all terrestrial species of ani- Why? mals, plants and insects? Forests cover nearly 31 And of the 8,300 animal per cent of our planet’s breeds known, 8 per cent land area. From the air are extinct and 22 per cent we breathe, to the water are at risk of extinction. we drink, to the food we Biodiversity and the eco- eat–forests sustain us. system services it under- Think about it. Around 1.6 pins can also be the billion people depend on basis for climate change adaptation and disaster to be worth more than Some things we can do risk reduction strategies US$200 billion per year to help include recycling, as they can deliver bene- to the global food econ- eating a locally-based fits that will increase the omy. Three-quarters of diet that is sustainably resilience of people to the the top-ranking global sourced, consuming impacts of climate change. prescription drugs con- only what we need, and tain components derived limiting energy usage Forests and nature are from plant extracts, which through efficient heating also important for recre- would be threatened. and cooling systems. ation and mental well-be- Natural disasters caused ing. In many cultures, We must also be respect- by ecosystems disrupted natural landscapes are ful toward wildlife and by human impact and closely linked to spiritual only take part in ecotour- climate change already values, religious beliefs ism opportunities that are cost the world more than and traditional teachings. responsibly and ethically US$300 billion per year. run in order to prevent Deforestation and for- What would it cost to wildlife disturbance. est degradation results correct the problem? in loss of habitat for all Well-managed protected The UN Forum on Forests species, a decrease in areas support healthy Secretariat estimates that freshwater quality, an ecosystems, which in achieving sustainable increase in soil erosion, turn keep people healthy. forest management on a land degradation and It is therefore critical to global scale would cost higher emissions of car- secure the involvement US$70-$160 billion per bon into the atmosphere. of the local communi- year. The Convention on In short, not taking action ties in the development Biological Diversity esti- on forests impacts both and management of mates that US$150-$440 the health of the planet these protected areas. billion per year is required and our communities. To find out more to halt the loss of biodi- about Goal #15 and versity at a global level by What can we do? the other Sustainable the middle of this century. Inevitably, we change Development Goals, visit: the ecosystems we are a What would it cost if we part of through our pres- http://www.un.org/ don’t correct the problem? ence–but we can make sustainabledevelopment choices that either affirm Biodiversity delivers mul- diversity or devalue it. tiple services from local to global levels, while responses to biodiversity loss range from emotional to utilitarian. For instance, insects and other pol- len-carriers are estimated .

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