FACTS AND FIGURES

Forests - Around 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihood. This includes some 70 million indigenous people Forests are home to more than 80 per cent of all terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects

Desertification - 2.6 billion people depend directly on agriculture, but 52 per cent of the land used for agriculture is moderately or severely affectedby soil degradation. As of 2008, land degradation affected 1.5 billion people globally

Arable land loss is estimated at 30 to 35 times the historical rate

Due to drought and desertification each year 12 million hectares are lost (23 hectares per minute), where 20 million tons of grain could have been grown 74 per cent of the poor are directly affected by land degradation globally

Biodiversity - Of the 8,300 animal breeds known, 8 per cent are extinct and 22 per cent are at risk of extinction

Of the over 80,000 tree species, less than 1 per cent have been studied for potential use

Fish provide 20 per cent of animal protein to about 3 billion people. Only ten species provide about 30 per cent of marine capture fisheries and ten species provide about 50 per cent of aquaculture production

Over 80 per cent of the human diet is provided by plants. Only three cereal crops – rice, maize and wheat – provide 60 per cent of energy intake.

As many as 80 per cent of people living in rural areas in developing countries rely on traditional plant-­‐based medicines for basic
healthcare

Micro-organisms and invertebrates are key to ecosystem services, but their contributions are still poorly known and rarely acknowledged. 

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Goal 15 TARGETS

By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements

By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally

By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world

By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development

Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species

Promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed

Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products

By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species

By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts

 

TASK 1: SOLVE THIS PUZZLE CONNECTED WITH THE GOAL NO. 15: