On People
As ecosystems break down, humanity aren’t the first to suffer. However, by the time we realise the effects, the damage has already been done and it will be much more difficult to recover.
We rely on diverse ecosystems for a variety of things, like oxygen production, and water filtering such as through wetlands. This has some crossover with other UN SDGs like Goal 6, which focuses on the availability of clean water and sanitation – feeding into the crucial nature of wetlands as a form of natural irrigation and filtering.
Find out how nutrient neutrality laws help protect wetlands >
Also of note for humans is Goal 11, which focuses on sustainable cities and habitats for people. Being more sustainable in the way we live has a knock-on effect for wildlife and the planet as well, making this an important consideration for preserving ecosystems during city development.
Ecosystem degradation means our lifestyles will suffer, so protecting the environment doesn’t come at the cost of quality of living – instead, it is the only means of achieving it.
On Wildlife
The information provided alongside SDG 15 states that 100 million hectares of healthy and productive land was degraded every year from 2015 to 2019 – equivalent to over twice the landmass of Greenland annually.
SDG 15 also states that the world is currently facing the largest species extinction event since the dinosaurs – around 65 million years ago.
This has a massive impact on our wildlife, with many species being displaced from their natural habitats, breeding grounds, and migratory refuges, or being wiped out entirely.
Our indigenous flora and fauna are an important part of our heritage, and a vital part of the planet’s lifecycle that we also rely on to survive. As those that are causing much of the damage to nature, we have a duty to change our ways and protect it.
On the Planet
Goal 13 revolves around combating climate change and its impacts. Much of this is larger in scale than ecosystem conservation, but the principles still stand – protecting our ecosystems requires a systematic understanding and improvement of processes which impact our climate and creatures.
As for ecosystem degradation and how it effects the planet, it’s almost self-explanatory. The planet is like a living being, made up of millions of interconnected species and holding many billions of life forms. Damage and destruction of the ecosystems puts in danger the balance of life on the planet, and the effects of the processes which result in this damage – such as introduction of new areas for industry – result in even further detrimental effects like pollution and climate change.
Many of these ideas may seem grandiose, but the steps to protect ecosystems don’t need to be as large. Instead, a focus on our individual and organisational efforts can be made to help achieve a positive impact on our wildlife.
