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

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.

The Lion’s Share Fund

On 21 June, 2018, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), FINCH and founding partner Mars, Incorporated, announced the Lion’s Share, an initiative aimed at transforming the lives of animals across the world by asking advertisers to contribute a percentage of their media spend to conservation and animal welfare projects. The Lion’s Share will see partners contribute 0.5 percent of their media spend to the fund for each advertisement they use featuring an animal. Those funds will be used to support animals and their habitats around the world. The Fund is seeking to raise US$100m a year within three years, with the money being invested in a range of wildlife conservation and animal welfare programs to be implemented by United Nations and civil society organizations.

Facts and Figures

Forests

Around 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihood, including 70 million indigenous people.
Forests are home to more than 80 per cent of all terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects.
Between 2010 and 2015, the world lost 3.3 million hectares of forest areas. Poor rural women depend on common pool resources and are especially affected by their depletion.

Desertification

6 billion people depend directly on agriculture, but 52 per cent of the land used for agriculture is moderately or severely affected by soil degradation.
Arable land loss is estimated at 30 to 35 times the historical rate
Due to drought and desertification, 12 million hectares are lost each year (23 hectares per minute). Within one year, 20 million tons of grain could have been grown.
74 per cent of the poor are directly affected by land degradation globally.

Biodiversity

Illicit poaching and trafficking of wildlife continues to thwart conservation efforts, with nearly 7,000 species of animals and plants reported in illegal trade involving 120 countries.
Of the 8,300 animal breeds known, 8 per cent are extinct and 22 per cent are at risk of extinction.
Of the over 80,000 tree species, less than 1 per cent have been studied for potential use.
Fish provide 20 per cent of animal protein to about 3 billion people. Only ten species provide about 30 per cent of marine capture fisheries and ten species provide about 50 per cent of aquaculture production.
Over 80 per cent of the human diet is provided by plants. Only three cereal crops – rice, maize and wheat – provide 60 per cent of energy intake.
As many as 80 per cent of people living in rural areas in developing countries rely on traditional plant-‐based medicines for basic healthcare.
Micro-organisms and invertebrates are key to ecosystem services, but their contributions are still poorly known and rarely acknowledged.

Space-based Technologies for SDG 15

Protecting nature and biodiversity is an increasingly important challenge for humanity.
Satellite technology can be used to track endangered species and disrupt the poaching activities that drive the illegal wildlife trade.
UNOOSA helps stakeholders in biodiversity and wildlife management use space applications to monitor, assess and manage biodiversity and ecosystems.
http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/psa/emnrm/biodiversity.html

SDG 15 Targets

Graphic displaying an end to desertification and the restoration of degraded land

Graphic displaying the financing and incentivising of sustainable forest management

Graphic displaying the conservation of mountain ecosystems

Graphic displaying the combatting of global poaching and trafficking

Graphic displaying the protection of biodiversity and natural habitats

Graphic displaying the promotion of access to genetic resources and fair sharing of the benefits

Graphic displaying the elimination of poaching and trafficking of protected species

Graphic displaying preventing invasive alien species on land and in water ecosystems

Graphic displaying the conservation and restoration of terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems

Graphic displaying the integration of ecosystems and biodiversity in government planning

Graphic displaying an end to deforestation and the restoration of degraded forests

Graphic displaying increased financial resources to conserve and sustainably use ecosystems and biodiversity

Learn more about the SDGs

How do you personally and professionally relate to water?

Growing up in Israel, water scarcity was a constant backdrop to my childhood. The arid climate and frequent droughts shaped my relationship with water from an early age. One vivid memory that remains stamped in my mind is the series of TV campaigns highlighting the importance of water conservation. I recall sitting in front of the television, concerned by the urgency conveyed in those campaigns. The images of dry landscapes and the emphasis on every drop of water as precious left a lasting impression.

Interview with Sawaid Abbas, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Geographical Information, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

Sawaid Abbas, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Geographical Information System, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan discussed his extensive work in addressing water-related challenges through the nexus between smart sensing and space technologies. His thematic focus spans water scarcity, food security, climate risks, and environmental monitoring with an emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region, including Pakistan and China. Key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) guiding his work include SDG2 (Zero Hunger), SDG13 (Climate Action), SDG15 (Life on Land), and SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). Abbas's passion for water emerged during his early career at the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), where he was involved in Pakistan’s Wetland Program and witnessed the impact of water on associated ecosystems. This sparked his interest in understanding and managing water, forestry, and wildlife resources. He recently studied coastal ecosystems and their responses to climate and anthropogenic stressors in the Asia-Pacific region. The Living Indus – Investing in Ecological Restoration has become a new focus of interest for him, addressing sustainability challenges related to food security, river basin management, and efficient water use in alignment with the UN Decade of Ocean objectives. Abbas shared his fascination with water, recognizing its complex and essential nature. He is captivated by its beauty in all forms and acknowledges its fundamental importance for life on Earth. This water connection further motivates his commitment to addressing global water challenges and promoting sustainable water use through innovative solutions. Sawaid Abbas's work, stimulated by both professional commitment and personal fascination, stresses the critical role of space technologies, particularly earth observation, smart sensing nexus, and artificial intelligence in addressing water-related challenges. His research contributes to the development of innovative solutions for sustainable water use, environmental protection, and disaster response, aligning with global goals for a more resilient and water-secure future.

Interview with Prof. Wolfgang Wagner

Photo of Prof. Wolfgang Wagner lecturing a seminar

Professor Wagner holds a Ph.D. in remote sensing. He gained his experience at renowned institutions, including academia, space agencies and international organisations. He is the Dean of the Faculty for Mathematics and Geoinformation and cofounder of the Earth Observation Data Centre for Water Resources among other affiliations.

Interview with Gregory Giuliani, Head of the Digital Earth Unit (GRID-Geneva) & Senior Lecturer in Earth Observations (UNIGE)

Photo of Gregory Giuliani teaching at INPE in Brazil

In this interview, we discuss how time-series of satellite data can be used to monitor the environmental, and more specifically the water domain, using the data cube technology.

Conservación de humedales: cómo la observación por satélite apoya la gestión sostenible de los humedales

Pelicans in the Danube Delta, Photo by Florin Tomozei.

Translated by: Isabel Zetina

El 2 de febrero de 2020 celebramos el Día Mundial de los Humedales para concienciar al mundo sobre el papel vital de los humedales para las personas y nuestro planeta. La edición de este año destaca la conexión entre el agua, los humedales y la vida.

Space technology observing the effects of forests on watersheds

Have you ever heard the phrase "All the rivers run into the sea"? In most cases, this statement holds, with one exception: rivers that end up in lakes. If you imagine mountain ranges as the walls of a bathtub, the ocean is like the bottom of the bathtub, collecting all the water from the bathtub. No matter where you live, you inhabit a land area where all the water, above and below ground, converges into a common body of water (Figure 1). We call this area a watershed. Watersheds vary in size.

Urban Water Scarcity: How data from NASA’s GRACE-FO Mission can be used for (near) real time water management

As population becomes larger the demand for water soars, including water needed for domestic, industrial and municipal uses (Mogelgaard 2011). One example of that, is India, where on 20 June 2019 the city of Chennai almost run out of water. Satellite images show the extent of the water shortage in the city (figure 1). While people are queuing up to get water from water trucks that transfer water to the city, the greatest struggle is taking place in the city’s municipal buildings and businesses. Hospitals are facing the threat of not having enough water to treat patients and to clean equipment, and businesses are forced to shut down and wait until the crisis is over.

Towards new applications of spaceborne technology on flood protection

Recently, in July 2021, destructive and deadly floods occurred in Western Europe. The estimated insured losses only in Germany could approach 5 billion Euros (AIR Worldwide, 2021). However, the total amount of the damage is currently not foreseeable due to the variety and complexity of the damage patterns and the unbelievable extent of the disaster. It seems the socio-economic losses will dramatically increase and break a new record in the insurance industry after evaluating the complete record of damages’ reports (see Figure 1).

Remote sensing techniques for observing snow and ice

Introduction

Snow has a crucial contribution to Earth’s climate and helps to maintain the Earth’s temperature. When snow melts, it aids in providing water to people for their livelihood and affects the survival of animals and plants (National Snow and Ice Data Center). Approximately 1.2 billion people - constituting one-sixth of the global population - depend on snowmelt water for both agricultural activities and human consumption (Barnett et al., 2005).

Наводнения в Судане - Космический мониторинг наводнений для управления рисками стихийных бедствий

Translated by Marina Agarkova

В 2019 году наводнения стали причиной 43,5% всех смертей в результате стихийных бедствий и, таким образом, представляют собой самый смертоносный тип бедствия с растущим числом событий по сравнению с предыдущими годами (CRED, 2019). Кроме того, наводнения приводят к наибольшему числу пострадавших людей по сравнению с другими бедствиями, поскольку они влияют на деятельность человека и экономику (CRED, 2019; Elagib et al. 2019).

Escasez urbana de agua: cómo pueden utilizarse los datos de la misión GRACE-FO de la NASA para la gestión del agua (casi) en tiempo real

Vers des Nouvelles Applications de la Technologie Spatiale à la Protection Contre les Inondations

Merci à Mussa Kachunga Stanis d'avoir traduit cet article volontairement.

Space-based observation helps improving climate modelling

Climate has become a subject of global concern, especially in recent decades. Climate models are practical tools that can simulate physical processes and predict future change. However, because of the complexity of atmospheric, ocean, and land processes, scientists are faced with significantly large uncertainties in climate models. As world leaders grapple with the urgency of climate action, the role of space-based technology and data has become increasingly critical. Various observed climatic variables (e.g.

Mind the mapping gap between the ocean and coastal zones

Do you know that about 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, yet it remains unmapped? As NASA oceanographer Dr. Gene Feldman said,

“We have better maps of the surface of Mars and the moon than we do of the bottom of the ocean.”

But can all these vast blue portions of the universe be explored and mapped like the Mars, which is 54.6 million kilometers away from us, but have nearly 90% of its surface mapped? "Well, that's the million-dollar question, isn't it?"

Pénuries d'Eau en Milieu Urbain : Comment les Données de la Mission GRACE-FO de la NASA Peuvent-Elles Soutenir la Gestion de l'Eau en Temps Quasi-Réel ?

Plus la population augmente, plus la demande en eau augmente, notamment l'eau nécessaire aux usages domestiques, industriels et municipaux (Mogelgaard 2011). L'Inde en est un bon exemple : le 20 juin 2019, la ville de Chennai a failli manquer d'eau. Des images satellites ont montré l'ampleur de la pénurie d'eau dans la ville (schéma 1). Alors que les habitants faisaient la queue pour de l'eau stockée dans des camions-citernes qui la rendaient disponible dans la ville, le véritable défi de gestion concernait les bâtiments municipaux et les entreprises de la ville. La pénurie d´eau a gravement affecté la capacité des hôpitaux à soigner les patients et à nettoyer les équipements, et a contraint les entreprises à fermer leurs portes jusqu'à la fin de la crise.

Earth observations for mangrove restoration

A mangrove is defined by the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History as

“a woody tree or shrub that lives along sheltered coastlines within the tropic or subtropic latitudes” (Teutli-Hernández et al. 2020).

Space technologies for drought monitoring and management

The impacts of climate change are ever more apparent. The frequency and scale of devastation and destruction of weather hazards are on an increasing trend. According to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report (IPCC, 2021) climate change is intensifying the water cycle. This will cause more intense droughts in many regions. Moreover, water-related extremes impact the quality of life disproportionately strong. Drought accounts for 25% of all losses from weather-related disasters in the United States of America (Hayes et al., 2012).

Floods in Sudan - Space-based Flood Monitoring to Support Disaster Risk Management

In 2019, floods caused 43.5% of all deaths due to natural disasters and thereby represent the deadliest type of disaster with an increasing number of events compared to previous years (CRED, 2019). Floods furthermore lead to the highest number of people affected compared to other disasters as they affect human activities and the economy (CRED, 2019; Elagib et al. 2019).

United Nations/Ghana/PSIPW - 5th International conference on the use of space technology for water resources management

From 10 to 13 May 2022, the United Nations Officer for Outer Space Affairs organized the 5th International conference on the use of space technology for water resources management. The conference was hosted in a hybrid format in Accra, Ghana, by the University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani on behalf of the Government of Ghana. The event was attended by several senior government representatives of the host country including Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, the Honorary Minister of Education Dr.

Wetlands conservation: How satellite observation supports sustainable wetland management

On 2 February 2020, we celebrate World Wetlands Day to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and our planet. This year’s edition highlights the connection between water, wetlands, and life.

Monitoring River Delta Using Remote Sensing

Since ancient times, people have established communities in river deltas because it provides water, fertile land, and transportation access, making them an ideal place to live. This pattern has been carried forward to the present. With nearly 6 billion people living in river deltas, they are one of the most densely populated places on Earth (Kuenzer and Renaud, 2011). However, they are facing threats such as climate change, sea level rise, land use changes, and ecosystem degradation.

Monitoring the impact of mining on water quality based on space technology

^{Source: (Morgan, J. 2020)}

Technologies Spatiales pour la Surveillance et la Gestion de la Sécheresse

Merci à Mussa Kachunga Stanis d'avoir traduit cet article volontairement.

SAR backscatter to monitor under tree cover

Forest cover refers to the extent of land area covered by forests. It can be expressed either as a percentage relative to the total land area or in absolute terms measured in square kilometers or square miles (ScienceDirect). As of 2020, globally, forests account for 31 percent of the land area with roughly half of this area considered relatively intact. The total forest coverage is 4.06 billion hectares.

Inondations au Soudan - Surveillance Spatiale des Inondations pour Soutenir la Gestion des Risques de Catastrophe

Merci à Martin Sarret d'avoir traduit cet article volontairement.

Interview with Gregory Giuliani, Head of the Digital Earth Unit (GRID-Geneva) & Senior Lecturer in Earth Observations (UNIGE)

In this interview, we discuss how time-series of satellite data can be used to monitor the environmental, and more specifically the water domain, using the data cube technology.

Interview with Stephanie Tumampos, PhD Student at Chair of Remote Sensing Technology, Technical University Munich

How do your professional career and/or your personal experience relate to space technologies and water?

My interest in water is deeply rooted in my personal life. I grew up on an island in the Philippines where a lot of people depend on water as a source of livelihood. From fishing in the open sea to fish breeding, water has always been a source of income at home. Aside from this, the small community where I grew up struggled with access to running water.

Interview with Claudia Ruz Vargas, Researcher at IGRAC

Claudia Ruz Vargas is a civil engineer, graduated from the University of Santiago, Chile, with an international master’s degree in Groundwater and Global change. Her master thesis focused on groundwater modelling for recharge and saline intrusion risk assessment under climate change scenarios, in Cape Verde. Claudia has six years of work experience as a project engineer and researcher. She is currently a researcher at the International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC), where she is involved in projects of high impact on the groundwater sector. In this interview, we talked to her about her career path, and how she has contributed to an improved and more sustainable management of groundwater resources, at a regional and global levels.

Interview with Yolanda Lopez-Maldonado

Name of the community

Maya

Short description of community and hydrogeology of the area

Yucatan is located in the southeast portion of Mexico. The total area of Yucatan is 124, 409 km2 and the population (by 2018) was ca. 2.1 million inhabitants. The landscape of the area is defined by a highly permeable karstic soil, a notable absence of rivers or permanent freshwater resources in the surface, and a high number of natural wells or sinkholes (locally called cenotes, from the Maya word t´sonot).

Interview with Hafsa, Aeman, National Researcher, International Water Management Institute (IWM), CGIAR

In the interview, Hafsa Aeman discusses her passion for integrating water resource management with space technologies. She uses remote sensing and AI to tackle challenges like seawater intrusion and coastal erosion, focusing on vulnerable coastal ecosystems. By leveraging satellite data, her work provides critical insights for sustainable water management, crucial for communities impacted by climate change. Ms Aeman highlights the significant role of space technology in water management, especially through remote sensing, which helps monitor precipitation, soil moisture, and groundwater levels. Her proudest achievement is a publication on seawater intrusion, recognized for its innovative use of AI and remote sensing, contributing to Pakistan’s Living Indus initiative. At the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Hafsa’s research integrates AI and remote sensing to optimize water and irrigation management systems. She emphasizes the importance of addressing seawater intrusion, which poses threats to agriculture, ecosystems, and global food security. She also underscores the role of community engagement in sustainable water management through capacity-building workshops for farmers, promoting smarter irrigation practices. She advocates for leadership opportunities for young scientists and believes AI can revolutionize water management by enabling more accurate and efficient data analysis. Rain, symbolizing renewal and sustenance, is her favorite aggregate state of water.

Interview with Rebecca Gustine, PhD Student at Washington State University, Intern at Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Rebecca Gustine is currently a PhD student at Washington State University in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering studying civil engineering with a focus on water resources. She is also an intern at NASA JPL where she is a member of the ECOSTRESS applied science mission team working with local agencies to inform resource management and conservation efforts. We talked to her about her interdisciplinary research experiences through her undergraduate and graduate school.

Interview with Dr. Sherine Ahmed El Baradei

Interview with Ailin Sol Ortone Lois, Director of SAR Research group, at Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, Specialist at the Argentinian Air Force, Teacher and Researcher at Universidad Nacional de Luján and the UTN

Interview with Lukas Graf

Lukas Graf used to take clean drinking water for granted. As he grew up, and conversations around climate change and environmental destruction became increasingly intense, he started to become more aware of the importance and scarcity of water resources. Around a similar time, he became increasingly enthusiastic about space, realising that space technologies could be used to explore many of the pressing topics that he was interested in. He has participated in research projects that used remote sensing methods to study the effects of global change on ecosystems and especially on water availability. Lukas is interested in a range of topics from virtual water and water quality to irrigation and agriculture. He believes that interdisciplinary approaches and mutual dialog with societies and stakeholders need to be deepened for sustained resource management.

Interview with Dr. Shimrit Maman, Senior Scientist at the Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change

How do you personally and professionally relate to water?

Interview with Shaima Almeer, Senior Space Data Analyst at Bahrain National Space Science Agency

Shaima Almeer is a young Bahraini lady that works as a senior space data analyst at the National Space Science Agency. At NSSA she is responsible for acquiring data from satellite images and analyzing them into meaningful information aiming to serve more than 21 governmental entities. Shaima is also committed to publishing scientific research papers, aiming to support and spread the knowledge to others. In addition, she has recently graduated from a fellowship program at Bahrain’s Prime Minister’s Office. Shaima was selected among more than 1000 individuals to spend a year working as full-time research fellow, benefiting from advanced training in writing skills, research methods and policy analysis. The fellowship forms a core pillar of HRH the CP and PM initiative to improve national skills and support the Kingdom’s growing cadre of young government professionals. Part of the fellowship program is to work as a supervisor at the COVID-19 War Room. Shaima has obtained her bachelor’s degree in the field of Information and Communication Technology from Bahrain Polytechnic and is currently pursuing her Msc. degree in Management Information System from the University College of Bahrain. Prior to obtaining her bachelor’s degree, Shaima was titled as the first robotics programmer in the Kingdom of Bahrain and also won the title “Pioneering Women in Technology”. She has recently also won the “Women Innovator of the Year 2023 Award” in New Dehli.

Interview with Sawaid Abbas, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Geographical Information, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

Interview with Dr. Ayan Santos Fleischmann, Lead, Research Group in Geospatial Analysis of the Amazonian Environment and Territory

Ayan Santos Fleischmann is a hydrologist with a particular interest in wetlands and large-scale basins, mainly in South America and Africa, and in the context of human impacts on water resources. His main study approaches involve remote sensing techniques and hydrologic-hydrodynamic modeling, as well as interdisciplinary collaborations with other disciplines such as ecology and social sciences. Currently, he is a researcher at the Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development (Tefé, Amazonas, Brazil), where he leads the Research Group in Geospatial Analysis of the Amazonian Environment and Territory. He also leads the Conexões Amazônicas initiative for science communication about the Amazon Basin. Ayan holds a PhD degree from UFRGS, with a collaborative period at Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier (France). His Ph. D. thesis focused on the hydrology of the South American wetlands. Ayan holds an Environmental Engineering degree from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), with a research stay at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. In this interview, we talked to him about his career path, the work he has been developing in Brazil with wetlands and floods, and his work in the Amazon River basin.

Interview with Harriette Okal, Associate Scientist, Stockholm Environment Institute

How do you professionally relate to water and/or space technologies?

As a hydrologist, I’ve always been fascinated by the potential of space technologies in transforming water resource management. My work integrates satellite-based Earth Observation (EO) data with hydrological modelling, particularly for drought and flood monitoring, and water availability assessments in regions with scarce ground data. EO technologies allow me to capture real-time, high-resolution data, critical for climate resilience, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.