Goal 15: Life on land

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

Deforestation and desertification – caused by human activities and climate change – pose major challenges to sustainable development and affect the lives and livelihoods of millions of people.  In an effort to address some of these challenges, the OSCE conducts climate change risk assessments and supports participatory processes for the development of transboundary climate change adaptation measures.

The OSCE activities in disaster risk reduction also contribute towards the achievement of this Goal. For example, the OSCE enhances the capacities of national authorities in managing wildfire risks and in building regionally harmonized wildfire management frameworks in the South Caucasus region. The OSCE also works with Belarus and Ukraine in reducing risks that wildfires pose to communities, fire fighters and the environment in and around areas contaminated by the 1987 Chernobyl nuclear tragedy.

To mitigate the risk of damage by floods, the OSCE assists participating States with ecosystem restoration in transboundary river basins.