Global Civil Society & the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 15: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss

Life on Land


Forests cover 30.7 per cent of the Earth’s surface and, in addition to providing food security and shelter, they are key to combating climate change, protecting biodiversity and the homes of the indigenous population. By protecting forests, we will also be able to strengthen natural resource management and increase land productivity.

At the current time, thirteen million hectares of forests are being lost every year while the persistent degradation of drylands has led to the desertification of 3.6 billion hectares. Even though up to 15% of land is currently under protection, biodiversity is still at risk. Deforestation and desertification – caused by human activities and climate change – pose major challenges to sustainable development and have affected the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in the fight against poverty.

Efforts are being made to manage forests and combat desertification. There are two international agreements being implemented currently that promote the use of resources in an equitable way. Financial investments in support of biodiversity are also being provided.

Name Acronym Founded City HQ Country/Territory HQ Type I Type II

Alternet

Brussels Belgium F y

Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research

ACEER 1991 West Chester PA USA G

Amazon Conservation Association

ACA 1999 Washington DC USA G

Amazon Conservation Team

ACT Arlington VA USA G

Amazon International Rainforest Reserve

AIRR 1991 Dallas TX USA N

Amazon Watch

1996 Oakland CA USA G

Ambulances animaux sans frontières

Ambulances ASF 1994 Brussels Belgium G

AME World Ecology Foundation

1976 Sao Paulo Brazil G f

Amendments to the Protocol for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution from Land-based Sources and Activities

1996 T g

American Academy of Environmental Medicine

AAEM 1965 Wichita KS USA N v

American Fisheries Society

AFS 1870 Bethesda MD USA G v

American Near East Refugee Aid

ANERA 1968 Washington DC USA G

AmeriGEOSS

E g

amfori

1977 Brussels Belgium D

Amphibian Ark

AArk 2007 Apple Valley MN USA E y

Amphibian Survival Alliance

ASA Austin TX USA C

Analysis and Experimentation on Ecosystems

AnaEE F

Ancient Forest International

AFI 1990 Redway CA USA G

Ancient Tree Forum

ATF 1993 Bristol UK N

Andean Institute of Ecology and Development

Cusco Peru G j

Andean-Patagonian Forestry Research and Advisory Centre

1988 Esquel Argentina G

Animal Ambassadors International

AAI Santa Fe NM USA N

Animal Assisted Intervention International

AAII 2013 Groesbeek Netherlands C y

Animal Cell Technology Industrial Platform

ACTIP 1990 La Nucia Spain F t

Animal Defenders International

ADI 1990 London UK G

Animal Equality

2006 Los Angeles CA USA F

Animal Liberation Front

ALF 1976 Los Angeles CA USA F

Animal Medical Care Foundation

AMCF Dongen Netherlands N f

Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia and the Pacific

APHCA 1975 Bangkok Thailand E g

Animal Traction Network for Eastern and Southern Africa

ATNESA 1990 Nairobi Kenya F

Animal Transportation Association

ATA 1975 Terra Alta WV USA F

Animal Venom Research International

AVRI Pasadena CA USA N

Animal-Kind International

AKI 2007 Jemez Springs NM USA G

Animals Asia

1998 Sheung Wan Hong Kong F

Animals Asia Foundation

AAF 1998 Sheung Wan Hong Kong F f

Animals without Frontiers - International

AWF-International 1987 Brussels Belgium G

Annual Meeting in Conservation Genetics

2015 S c

Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition

ASOC 1978 Washington DC USA F y

Antarctic Treaty

AT 1959 Buenos Aires Argentina F g

Anti-Persoonsmijnen Ontmijnende Productontwikkeling

APOPO 1998 Antwerp Belgium G

Ape Alliance

1996 Stroud UK F y

Apiculture, Formation, Coopération

AFOCO La Louvière Belgium N

ApiTrade Africa

2008 Kampala Uganda D t

APS Europeo Istituto Pegaso

2007 Foggia Italy E j

AquaConSoil

S c

Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society

AEHMS 1989 C

Aquaverde

2002 Geneva Switzerland G

Arab Beekeeping Association

J

Arab Centre for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands

ACSAD 1968 Damascus Syrian AR E g

Arab Company for Livestock Development

ACOLID 1974 Riyadh Saudi Arabia F eg

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