Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land

Author: Paramjeet Kaur Dhillon

SDG 15 Vision Statement: Protect, Restore and Promote Sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems

sustainably manage forests

combat desertification

halt and reverse land degradation

halt biodiversity loss

The vision statement clearly recommends that human beings need to take care of the grasslands, wetlands, drylands, mountains and forests by doing away with deforestation, overgrazing, land degradation and going for enough plantations to fight desertification. We need to protect natural habitats, do away with poaching ban trafficking of protected species and have strict rules in place to prevent invasive alien species in water and on land.

SDG 15 has twelve targets to be achieved by 2030 and 14 indicators to measure its progress. The human race depends on earth and the ocean to thrive upon. For Sustainable existence, we need to focus on SDG 15 so that the coming generations do not blame us for giving them half the bread.

For livelihood:

• Approximately 1.6 billion people depend on forests.

• Approximately 2.6 billion people depend on agriculture.

• Approximately 80% of forests are home to nearly all species of animals, plants and insects.

The human diet is made up of 80% of plant life, thus focusing on forest and agriculture becomes important. Millions of species have their natural habitats in our forests which cover 30 per cent of the Earth’s surface. Forest gives us clean air and water and also help us to fight climate change. Sad to say our forests are diminishing. Saving our forests needs to be one of our prime responsibilities.

All 17 SDGs are in some way or the other related to SDG 15 Life on Land.

The environmental SDGs are:

• SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation

• SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

• SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

• SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

• SDG 13 Climate Action

• SDG 14 Life below Water

• SDG 15 Life on Land

The socio-economic SDGs are

• SDG:6 Clean Water and Sanitation,

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production,

• SDG 13: Climate Action,

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger,

• SDG 1: No Poverty,

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean

Both The environmental SDGs and The socio-economic SDGs are linked with SDG15 Life on Land.

To achieve SDG15 and the UN2030 Agenda let’s “Leave No One Behind”

Let’s Rise Up to save our Earth, Oceans and Forests!

Let’s Rise Up to Protect, Restore and Promote our Ecosystem!

Let’s Rise Up to Manage, Combat and halt our biodiversity loss!

Let’s RiseUp4SDG15!

WE RiseUp4SDGs Conference Episode 15: 13.08.2021

SDG 15 “Life on Land” Friday 13.08.2021 at 6:00 pm (IST)

Special Guest: Ms. Meenakshi Uberoi, Education Evangelist, founder CEO De Pedagogics

Moderator: Ms. Norlizawati binti Mohamad Noh, SK Segamat Baru, Johor, Malaysia

P1: Key Note Speaker: Dr. Omar Kh. Abuhammad, ‎Ministry of Education, Palestine

P2: School SDG 15 Story:  ​Ms. Chien-Hui Yu, Chongqing Junior High School, New Taipei City, Taiwan

P3: Newsletter: Mr. Balpreet Singh, Kamla Nehru Public School, Phagwara

P4: School SDG 15 Story: Ms. Tatiana Paez, CASD José Prudencio Padilla Public School Barrancabermeja, Colombia, South America

P5: Virtual Art Gallery: Ms. Silvana Carnicero, Mother of Mercy School, Buenos Aires, Argentina

P6: School SDG 15 Story: Ms. Sugandh Lal, Bal Bharati Public School, Rohini, Delhi, India

RiseUp4SDGs Project Initiated by:

Paramjeet Kaur Dhillon

Principal

Kamla Nehru Public School, Phagwara, Punjab, India