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

Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

APN 1996 Kobe Japan F g

Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Agriculture Food and Energy

SAFE Network Padang Indonesia F

Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and Rehabilitation

APFNet Beijing China E gy

AsiaFlux

1999 Ibaraki Japan F

Asian Animal Protection Network

AAPN Discovery Bay Hong Kong G

Asian Apicultural Association

AAA 1992 Beijing China D

Asian Association of Environmental and Resource Economics

AAERE 2010 Kyoto Japan D

Asian Association of Hair Restoration Surgeons

AAHRS 2010 Seoul Korea Rep D

Asian Association of Occupational and Environmental Health

AAOEH 1964 Singapore Singapore D

Asian Centre for Soil Improvement and Geosynthetics

ACSIG Pathum Thani Thailand G

Asian Coalition for Housing Rights

ACHR 1988 Bangkok Thailand F

Asian Consortium for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Microbial Resources

ACM 2004 Tokyo Japan D

Asian Dust Network

AD-Net 2001 Ibaraki Japan N

Asian Ecotourism Network

AEN Bangkok Thailand F

Asian Energy Institute

AEI 1989 Delhi India E jy

Asian Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Network

AECEN 2005 Bangkok Thailand F

Asian Environmental Society

AES 1972 Delhi India D

Asian Forest Cooperation Organization

AFoCO 2009 Seoul Korea Rep E g

Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development

FORUM-ASIA 1991 Bangkok Thailand F

Asian Forum for Polar Sciences

AFoPS 2004 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia F

Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development

AFPPD 1981 Tokyo Japan F y

Asian Foundation for the Advancement of Veterinary and Animal Science

AFAVAS Gwangju Korea Rep D f

Asian iNstitute for Environmental Research and enerGY

A.NERGY 2012 Incheon Korea Rep D

Asian Institute of Low Carbon Design

AILCD Kitakyushu Japan J

Asian Institute of Technology

AIT 1967 Pathum Thani Thailand F j

Asian Institute of Technology Alumni Association

AITAA 1969 Pathum Thani Thailand E j

Asian Marine Conservation Association

AMCA 1988 Kolkata India G v

Asian Network for the Rights Of Occupational and Environmental Victims

ANROEV 1997 Kathmandu Nepal D y

Asian Network of Analytical Chemistry

ANAC 1984 Saga Japan F

Asian Pacific Environmental Network

APEN 1993 Oakland CA USA G

Asian Raptor Research and Conservation Network

ARRCN 1998 Yasu Japan F

Asian Rural Women's Coalition

ARWC 2008 Penang Malaysia D

Asian Society of Conservation Medicine

ASCM 2005 D

Asian Soils and Environment Research Information Center

ASERIC 1997 Bangkok Thailand J p

Asian University Network of Environment and Disaster Risk Management

AUEDM F

Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies

AAAP 1980 Seoul Korea Rep D

Asian-Pacific Parliamentarians' Conference on Environment and Development

APPCED 1993 Seoul Korea Rep F cg

Asociación Andina de Empresas e Instituciones de Servicio de Agua Potable y Saneamiento

ANDESAPA 1986 Quito Ecuador D

Asociación Boliviana para la Investigación y Conservación de Ecosistemas Andino-Amazónicos

ACEAA 2004 La Paz Bolivia G

Asociación Centroamericana para la Economia, la Salud y el Ambiente

ACEPESA 1991 Zapote Costa Rica G

Asociación Centroamericana, del Caribe y Mexicana de Animales de Laboratorio

ACCMAL 1992 D

Asociación Coordinadora Indigena y Campesina de Agroforesteria Comunitaria

ACICAFOC 1994 San José Costa Rica E

Asociación de Conservación de los Ecosistemas Andinos

ECOAN Cusco Peru G

Asociación de la Industrias de Alimentación Animal de América Latina y Caribe

FEEDLATINA 2008 Montevideo Uruguay D t

Asociación Latino Americana de Ecología Química

ALAEQ 2009 Rio de Janeiro Brazil D

Asociación Latinoamericana de Estudiantes de Ciencias Forestales

ALECIF 1995 Linares Mexico D

Asociación Latinoamericana de Parques Zoológicos y Acuarios

ALPZA 1990 Santiago Chile D

Asociación Latinoamericana de Veterinarios de Fauna Silvestre

ALVEFAS J

Asociación Latinoamericana para el Desarrollo del Seguro Agropecuario

ALASA 1986 Santa Fé Argentina D

Asociación Latinoamericana para la Producción Animal

ALPA 1966 Calgary AB Canada D

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