Words by Smiley Team
Protecting and preserving the future of our planet, sustainably managing our forests, and halting and reversing land degradation – that's the basis of UN Goal 15 'Life on Land', from the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which aim to tackle a broad range of social and environmental issues.
Life on Land, focuses on how to protect and restore the planet’s ecosystems. The term ‘ecosystem’ refers to all life, or biodiversity, that interacts within a natural habitat. This implies that the goal is vital to the health of the planet, but also to people.
The importance of life on land is immeasurable for us as human beings. At a basic level, we depend on clean air and water to survive, as well as healthy soils for us to grow food. We also use nature to make medicines, construct homes, shelter from bad weather and even support good mental health and wellbeing.
Georgina Chandler, RSPB's senior international policy officer tells Smiley News: “We know biodiversity is fundamental for everything people depend on - from the air we breathe to the food we eat.”
So clearly, thriving wildlife and nature are the very reason we are all alive. The human benefits of healthy ecosystems are called ecosystem services and they only help humans if they themselves are doing well. “These ecosystem services form the basis of our own health and prosperity, and to protect them is to protect ourselves,” says José Rojo Martin of the World Land Trust.
“Without ecosystem services, we could not exist, and they are in very real danger,” adds Sally Bevin a conservationist at the Woodland Trust.
The human benefits of nature are easy for us to grasp. However, nature has its own intrinsic value that doesn’t involve us at all. “Ecosystems should not just be protected for selfish reasons,” says José.
There are so many astounding things about nature that have nothing to do with humanity. Redwood trees grow as high as 84 metres, making them the tallest living thing on Earth. Humpback whales survive off almost nothing for much of the year despite being so large. Plants can communicate and alert their neighbours of danger.
The fascinating facts about plants and wildlife are countless and offer us all the reasons in the world to protect nature for itself alone.
“We have the opportunity to safeguard and, where needed, rehabilitate life on earth – protecting life for its own sake, and not just because of what it does for us,” explains José.
Sadly, most of the planet’s ecosystems are under increasing pressure from human activities leading to problems such as climate change, deforestation, pollution and environmental degradation.
“Nature is in crisis,” warns Georgina, “– a global assessment (IPBES, 2020) recently highlighted by just how much, reporting “One million species are at risk of extinction, many within decades, and more than ever in human history”.”
To overcome this unprecedented challenge to humanity, organisations are taking a variety of different approaches. These include making broader changes via global leaders and the economic system. But there are also alternative approaches that draw from traditional knowledge and put power in the hands of small communities.
In 2022 world will gather for a summit called the Convention on Biological Diversity, COP15. The event is aimed at creating a new set of global targets for nature and wildlife. Its organisers hope that the summit will result in global action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
“This new global action plan will be crucial for achieving the commitments countries also made for Life on Land (and seas!) in the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015," says Georgina.
Considering that biodiversity underlies our survival as a species, leaders should be putting ecosystem services at the heart of all their decisions. This requires very broad behaviour changes.
Sally urges: “We must adjust our economic system to recognise the value of these different types of services.”
The world’s developed countries must make sweeping changes to protect life on land. Meanwhile, small communities of people living beyond state control often hold vital knowledge for how to do so.
To empower local people to conserve local nature and wildlife, The World Land Trust has a thoughtful approach.
Working for the trust, José recounts: “Since 2020 alone we’ve funded projects in Cameroon and Tanzania where local people will own, manage and benefit from reserves and, among many other examples, a programme in Borneo where tree-planting creates jobs for local, Indigenous women.”
Similarly, rainforest protection organisation Cool Earth puts its faith in small communities of people.
Dr Hannah Peck, Head of Policy and Research at Cool Earth reveals: “Rainforest is home to millions of people, and 80% of our planet's carbon-extracting, earth-protecting, wildlife-homing biodiversity.”
“A people-first approach can end the climate crisis,” she adds.
To ensure the survival of rainforests, the organisation bases its strategy primarily on Indigenous Peoples’ traditional knowledge. Right now, 28% of the planet’s land surface is made up of local and indigenous territories, she explains. “Research shows that people who live in the rainforest have historically been the best at shaping and stewarding these ecosystems for millions of years.”
Their knowledge is therefore integral to protecting life on land and, because life on land supports us, it’s also integral to our survival.
“Backing the people that live in rainforests and recognising and respecting their rights is essential in fighting the climate crisis. Their climate knowledge and rich history of living in rainforest ensure the best carbon sinks on earth can stay that way.”
Here are nine organisations working to protect life on land. Support their work to help protect wildlife and nature yourself by following the links below.
