SDG indicators 15.1.1 and 15.2.1 - Forest area and sustainable forest management
This course has been developed to guide countries in reporting on Indicators 15.1.1 and 15.2.1. It illustrates the rationale of the indicators, the definitions and methodologies on which monitoring activities are based, and explains the process and the tools available for compiling data related to the two indicators through the Global Forest Resources Assessment Programme (available in English, French and Spanish).
Mountains cover around 27 percent of the earth’s land surface, and forests cover more than 40 percent of the global mountain area.
Healthy mountain forests are crucial to the ecological health of the world. They protect watersheds that supply freshwater to more than half of humankind. They also harbour wildlife, provide food and fodder for mountain peoples and are important sources of timber and non-wood products. Moreover, they protect the earth and contribute to shielding the atmosphere from CO2 emissions.
Protecting these forests and making sure they are carefully managed is an important step towards sustainable mountain development. In the last decades, tropical mountain forests have been disappearing at an astounding rate. Deforestation is generally driven by population growth, the expansion of intensive agriculture, uncertain land tenure, inequitable land distribution and the absence of strong and stable institutions.
Crucially, mountain forests perform a protective function against natural hazards, so that when forest cover is lost and the land is left unprotected, runoff and soil erosion increase, provoking landslides, avalanches and floods, to the detriment of villages, transport systems, human infrastructure and of the food security of vulnerable populations.
Putting power back into the hands of mountain people is one important step towards alleviating their poverty and, in turn, protecting mountain forests. Measures that could accomplish these aims include providing incentives for biodiversity and agro-biodiversity conservation as well as the inclusion sustainable forest management plans into national policies.
Evaluation workshop for project "Enhancing community resilience to climate change in mountain watersheds"eventThe Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) project "Enhancing Community Resilience to Climate Change in Mountain Watersheds" (GCP/GLO/042/JPN), funded by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and supported by the Mountain Partnership Secretariat, aims to strengthen the capacities of institutions and communities in forest-based... Read more » |
Mountain forests masterclass: Insights from the fieldeventIn the lead up to the 27th Session of the Committee on Forestry (COFO 27) and the 9th World Forest Week, this event is dedicated to spotlighting success stories from young mountain foresters operating in the field. Organized together by the Mountain Youth Hub (MYH) and the COFO 27 Youth... Read more » |
Land Degradation Neutrality Fund Impact Report 2022publicationAfter four years of full operations and successful deployment, the Mirova team announced the closing of the 10th investment of the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Fund in October 2022, a major milestone in the development of the sustainable land use strategy. The projects supported by the fund since 2018 have... Download » |
UNFF19: Safeguarding mountain forests for sustainable mountain developmentnewsOn 10 May, the Governments of Kyrgyzstan, Italy and Nepal, in collaboration with the UN Group of Friends for Mountains, hosted a side event at the 19th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF19) at UN headquarters in New York. The event emphasized the pivotal role of mountains... Read more » |
Spotlighting mountain youth at the 2024 ECOSOC Youth Forumpeak to peakThe May 2024 issue of Peak to Peak shares the outcome of the Mountain Partnership Mountain Youth Hub's first ever side event during the ECOSOC Youth Forum. The newsletter continues with the exciting announcement of a new Mountain Partnership Goodwill Ambassador: American climber Sasha DiGiulian. Top news stories feature opportunities and... Download » |
Restoring mountain ecosystems: celebrations to mark International Mountain Daypeak to peakThe December 2023 issue of Peak to Peak highlights the upcoming events to celebrate International Mountain Day. Top news stories cover innovation in mountains and communities coming together for change. This month's newsletter also features the work of two members of the Mountain Partnership, the International Network for Bamboo and... Download » |
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