Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
We rely on our world’s land to produce most of the things we use on a daily basis, from the forests where we harvest our wood to the pastures and farms where we grow our food, so unsustainable use of this land puts us all at risk.
Agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation globally—and if we continue to deplete our land at the current rate, the world’s rainforests will be completely destroyed in 100 years.
Deserts and degraded drylands cover more than a third of the world’s land surface area and growing, meaning 1.2 billion people are at high risk from desertification.
Deforestation and desertification also contribute to species loss. Scientists offer a conservative estimate that 200-2,000 species are lost per year, and a higher estimate of up to 100,000. This is about 1,000-10,000 times higher than the natural extinction rate.
In Canada, 521 plant and animal species are at risk.
By 2030, we need to come together at a local and global level to protect our land and biodiversity to ensure we have sustainable food sources, natural resources, and well-functioning ecosystems for the future.
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"What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another." – Gandhi
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