Sustainable Development Goal 15 (SDG 15) focuses on protecting, restoring, and promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems: tackling deforestation and desertification, halting biodiversity loss, and combating land degradation. As ecosystems face growing pressures from humans and climate change, urgent action is needed to sustain their societal and environmental functions.
Engineering plays a crucial role in safeguarding and restoring terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity by developing innovative technologies and processes for sustainable land management and conservation. Researchers, innovators and practitioners from across disciplines within the Frontiers network actively contribute to sustainable solutions that protect our natural resources and foster ecological resilience.
Case study
After moving to the coast of Peru, Diego Almendrades saw first-hand the impacts of both deforestation and desertification on the local ecosystem – up to 90% of the biome had been lost. This experience led to the establishment of the non-profit EcoSwell. The project aimed to help vulnerable communities in drylands gain access to clean water, in addition to developing water projects in sanitation, conservation, renewable energy, and public health.
At the 2018 Frontiers symposium in Rio de Janeiro, Diego met with experts from across the globe to discuss climate change and its impact on vulnerable communities. He built valuable partnerships with other participants, including his groundwater project partner. In 2020, Diego became a Frontiers Champion, which helped fund his project to develop groundwater resources for the rural community in Lobitos, Peru. Through the project, Diego and his team were able to help a previously water-scarce community gain access to clean water
Insights
Community-led adaptation
Participants of the Frontiers ‘Empowering resilience’ symposium came together in Perth, Australia to discuss climate adaptation strategies and solutions, with a strong focus on integrating different innovation approaches and involving local communities and knowledge. The event acknowledged Australian First Nations people as Indigenous custodians of the land, having cared for and nurtured the natural ecosystems over roughly 65,000 years. Several speakers emphasised the immense importance of working alongside Indigenous people and the value they bring to help build community resilience –drawing on their culture, customs and their experience of living as part of the natural environment.
Throughout the symposium, the Frontiers community raised key insights into protecting and restoring life on land:
- Integration of social and indigenous knowledge is key. Incorporating Indigenous knowledge systems can shape sustainable land management practices because these ways of knowing are rooted in a deep understanding of nature. Acknowledging the value of traditional ecological knowledge in conserving biodiversity is fundamental to caring for and supporting ecosystems.
- Community-led and integrated initiatives are more successful. For example, using community data collection for biodiversity tracking encourages grassroots efforts in protecting local ecosystems. Integrating biodiversity strategies into urban planning was highlighted as a successful case study. Protection and restoration requires a whole community effort.
- Systems-based approaches for ecosystem resilience are vital. There was clear advocacy for systems-thinking, especially around disaster risk reduction and preparedness. Participants highlighted a need to regard the conservation and protection of natural ecosystems as a legitimate nature-based approach to climate adaptation.
SDG 15 in action
By promoting solar and wind as the future of global energy, Professor Andrew Blakers is helping communities to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, which drive environmental degradation through climate impacts. Andrew is a Professor of Engineering at the Australian National University. In 2023 he was a joint winner of the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering as one of the inventors of passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) technology, used in around half of all solar panels globally. His team has also produced an atlas of a million pumped hydro energy storage sites worldwide which he argues play a critical role in renewable energy storage.
In his keynote, Professor Andrew outlined the ways that renewable energy technologies can significantly contribute to preserving natural ecosystems, aligning with the objectives of SDG 15. He emphasised that the rapid growth of solar energy offers a scalable, sustainable alternative that requires minimal land and water resources, thus reducing pressure on natural habitats. In his experience, transitioning to renewables not only mitigates climate change through emissions reductions, but also limits the deforestation and ecosystem degradation associated with traditional energy sources. Optimistic about an all-renewable energy future, he illustrated that by utilising solar, wind, and hydro-power, nations can achieve energy security while preserving biodiversity.
“As a young kid, growing up, I lived with the most extraordinary biodiversity. I didn't know that in my short lifetime we would reduce it to a fragment.” - Professor Kingsley Dixon, Keynote speaker at the symposium