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

Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organization

BOBP-IGO 2003 Chennai India E g

Bears in Mind

1993 Rhenen Netherlands G f

Beekeeping Network North-South

BNNS Liège Belgium F

Beijer Institute - International Institute of Ecological Economics

1977 Stockholm Sweden G j

Belmont Forum

2009 Montevideo Uruguay F

Benelux Convention on Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection

1982 Brussels Belgium T g

BERAS International Foundation

2015 Järna Sweden F f

Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation

BRPF 1963 Nottingham UK F f

Big Data Value Association

BDVA Brussels Belgium E

Big Life Foundation

Big Life 2010 Ridgefield WA USA F f

Biodiversity and Economics for Conservation

BIOECON 2000 Leipzig Germany F y

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network

BES-Net 2016 Nairobi Kenya F

Biodiversity Conservancy International

Ottawa ON Canada G

Biodiversity Foundation for Africa

BFA 1992 Bulawayo Zimbabwe G f

Biodiversity Indicators Partnership

BIP 2004 Cambridge UK E y

Biodiversity Information Standards

TDWG 1985 Paris France D

Bioencapsulation Research Group

BRG 1990 Sucé sur Erdre France F

Biopolitics International Organisation

BIO 1985 Athens Greece G v

BioProtection Global

BPG F y

Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme

BDCP Washington DC USA G

Biosphere Expeditions

1999 Blackrock Ireland F

Biosphere Foundation

1991 Campbell CA USA G f

BirdLife Europe

Brussels Belgium E

BirdLife International

1922 Cambridge UK B

BirdsCaribbean

1988 D

Blue Ventures

G

Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation

Institut Plavi Svijet 1999 Veli Losinj Croatia G j

Bonobo Conservation Initiative

BCI Washington DC USA G

Born Free Foundation

1984 Horsham UK G f

Botanic Gardens Conservation International

BGCI 1987 Richmond UK F

Both ENDS

1986 Utrecht Netherlands F

Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University

BKWSU 1936 London UK F v

Bretton Woods Project

1995 London UK G

British Association for Cemeteries in South Asia

BACSA 1976 London UK N

Bromine Science and Environmental Forum

BSEF 1997 Brussels Belgium F

Brussels Dialogue on Climate Diplomacy

BDCD 2016 F y

Building and Wood Workers' International

BWI 2005 Carouge Switzerland B

Built Environment Professions in the Commonwealth

BEPIC 1997 Bristol UK G

Bureau gravimétrique international

BGI 1951 Toulouse France F

Bureau of International Recycling

BIR 1948 Brussels Belgium C

Bureau of Nordic Family Forestry

1996 Brussels Belgium E

Busan Foundation for International Cooperation

BFIC 2005 Busan Korea Rep G

Business and Human Rights Resource Centre

London UK G

Butterfly Conservation Europe

BCE 2004 Wageningen Netherlands F

CABI

1985 Wallingford UK C g

Cambridge Centre for the Study of Existential Risk

CSER Cambridge UK N j

Cambridge Conference for National Mapping Organizations

1928 Southampton UK F cg

Campaign to Stop Killer Robots

2013 New York NY USA F y

Campaign Whale

1980 Lewes UK G

Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief

CPAR 1984 Ottawa ON Canada G

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