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

Arab Federation for Food Industries

AFFI 1977 Damascus Syrian AR D t

Arab Federation of Surveyors

2002 Beirut Lebanon D

Arab Forum for Environment and Development

AFED 2006 Beirut Lebanon F y

Arab Foundation for Marine Environment

AFME 1995 Alexandria Egypt F f

Arab Geophysical Exploration Services Company

AGESCO 1984 Tripoli Libya F eg

Arab NGO Network for Environment and Development

RAED 1990 Cairo Egypt F

Arab Office for Youth and Environment

AOYE 1978 Cairo Egypt G

Arab Region Ecotechnie Network

AREN 2002 Aswan Egypt K

Arab Society for Fungal Conservation

ASFC 2011 Ismailia Egypt G

Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences

AUASS 1998 Sharjah United Arab Emirates D y

Arab Youth Movement

AYM Nazareth Israel K

Arbeitsgemeinschaft Alpenländer

ARGE ALP 1972 Innsbruck Austria E

Arche Noah

1990 Schiltern Austria N

Architects Regional Council Asia

ARCASIA 1979 Singapore Singapore F

ARCMED

G

Arctic Council

1996 Tromsø Norway D gy

Arctic Council Indigenous Peoples' Secretariat

IPS Tromsø Norway E

Arctic Marine Ecosystem Research Network

ARCTOS Research Network 2002 Tromsø Norway G

Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme

AMAP 1991 Tromsø Norway E gy

Arid Lands Information Network - Eastern Africa

ALIN- East Africa 1988 Nairobi Kenya F v

Art Nouveau European Route

2000 Barcelona Spain F y

Art Restoration for Cultural Heritage Foundation

ARCH Foundation 1991 Salzburg Austria N f

Artefact - Centre for Energy, Appropriate Technology and International Development Cooperation

Glücksburg Germany G

Article 36

2011 London UK G

Artists for Conservation

AFC North Vancouver BC Canada G

Artists Project Earth

APE Banbury UK G

ASEAN Agreement on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

1985 T g

ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity

ACB 1999 Los Baños Philippines E

ASEAN Federation of Land Surveying and Geomatics

AFLAG 1995 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia D

ASEAN Forestry Students Association

AFSA 1993 Bangkok Thailand D

ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Centre

ASMC 1993 Singapore Singapore E

ASEAN Working Group on Social Forestry

AWG SF Jakarta Indonesia E g

Asia Cohort Consortium

ACC Tokyo Japan D

Asia for Animals Coalition

AfA 2011 Sheung Wan Hong Kong D y

Asia Forest Network

AFN 1987 Tagbilaran City Philippines G

Asia Institute of Urban Environment

AIUE J

Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources

ANSAB 1992 Kathmandu Nepal F

Asia Oceania Geosciences Society

AOGS 2003 Singapore Singapore D

Asia Pacific Association of Educators in Agriculture and Environment

APEAEN 1997 Pili Philippines D

Asia Pacific Ecotourism Society

APES 2009 J

Asia Pacific Geoparks Network

APGN Beijing China F

Asia-Oceania GEOSS

AOGEOSS 2016 E g

Asia-Pacific Association of Chemical Ecologists

APACE 1997 Otsu Japan D

Asia-Pacific Association of Forestry Research Institutions

APAFRI 1995 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia D y

Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Accountability

APCEA 1996 E

Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Law, Singapore

APCEL 1996 Singapore Singapore G

Asia-Pacific Environmental and Occupational Dermatology Group

APEOD 1991 Carlton VIC Australia E v

Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission

APFC 1949 Bangkok Thailand E g

Asia-Pacific Forum of Environmental Journalists

APFEJ 1988 Beijing China F

Asia-Pacific Greens Federation

APGF 2005 Melbourne VIC Australia F

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