Ecosystem Services and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Fossil fuel extraction is not an ecosystem service because it does not provide any direct benefit to humans from the natural environment.

SDG 15 aims to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, which are the source of many ecosystem services.

Ecosystem services contribute to human well-being in a variety of ways, including by providing food, water, and shelter; regulating climate and air quality; and supporting biodiversity.

Food production is an example of a provisioning ecosystem service because it provides humans with a direct benefit in the form of food.

Climate regulation is an example of a regulating ecosystem service because it helps to maintain a stable climate, which is essential for human survival.

Recreation is an example of a cultural ecosystem service because it provides humans with a non-material benefit in the form of enjoyment and relaxation.

We can ensure that ecosystem services continue to provide benefits to future generations by protecting and restoring natural ecosystems, reducing our consumption of resources, and adopting sustainable agricultural practices.

The SDGs play a role in promoting ecosystem services by raising awareness of their importance, providing a framework for action to protect and restore them, and monitoring progress in achieving ecosystem service goals.

Increasing the area of protected land and sea is not a target under SDG 15: Life on Land. It is a target under SDG 14: Life Below Water.

Ecosystem services can contribute to achieving the SDGs by providing food, water, and shelter; regulating climate and air quality; and supporting biodiversity.

The Global Environment Facility, the United Nations Development Programme, and the World Bank are all examples of partnerships that are working to promote ecosystem services.

Indigenous peoples and local communities have a deep understanding of the local environment, traditional knowledge and practices that can help to protect and restore ecosystem services, and are often the stewards of traditional lands and waters.

We can measure the value of ecosystem services by using economic valuation techniques, assessing the impact of ecosystem services on human well-being, and considering the cultural and spiritual values of ecosystem services.

Some of the challenges to promoting ecosystem services include lack of awareness of their importance, competing land uses, and climate change.

Individuals can promote ecosystem services by reducing their consumption of resources, adopting sustainable agricultural practices, and supporting businesses that are committed to sustainability.