Indicator 15.4.2 – (a) Mountain Green Cover Index; and (b) Proportion of Degraded Mountain Area
The Mountain Green Cover Index (MGCI) (Indicator 15.4.2.a) measures changes in the area of green vegetation in mountain areas (forest, shrubs and pasture land, and cropland), while the Proportion of degraded mountain land (Indicator 15.4.2.b) monitors the extent of degraded mountain land as a result of land cover change of a given country and for given reporting year. This information will help identify the status of conservation of mountain environments in order to measure progress towards SDG Target 15.4.
Target 15.4
By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development.
Indicator 15.4.2: Progress Assessment
Impact
This indicator helps to ensure that mountains are efficiently managed, and a better balance is struck between conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.
Key results
Mountain land degradation has accelerated globally, driven by agricultural expansion and urban and infrastructure development.
Global mountain green cover decreased from 83 percent to 82.2 percent between 2000 and 2021. Approximately 3.5 percent of the world’s mountain area experienced detrimental land cover changes, with sub-Saharan Africa (6.8 percent) seeing the highest rate of degradation in mountain land.
The regions with the highest proportions of degraded mountain land are sub-Saharan Africa (6.8 percent), Northern Africa and Western Asia, Australia and New Zealand (4.1 percent each), Northern America (4 percent) and South-eastern Asia (3.9 percent). Oceania’s mountains (excluding Australia and New Zealand) are least affected, at 0.6 percent.
The rate of mountain degradation, measured in km2 per year, increased globally in the 2015–2021 period compared to the 2000–2015 baseline, driven by detrimental land cover changes occurring in Eastern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Highlights
Multimedia
SDG 15 - Indicators of sustainable forests and mountains
01/01/2019
An overview of SDG indicators 15.1.1, 15.2.1, 15.4.2, measuring forest area, mountain vegetation cover, and sustainable management...
Tracking progress on food and agriculture-related SDG indicators (2022)
01/09/2022
Tracking progress on food and agriculture-related SDG indicators offers detailed analyses and trends on selected indicators for which...
Capacity development
7/2
2023
[FAO x Data Strategy] How to Use Earth Observation Data for Agricultural Statistics & SDG Monitoring
Virtual Event, 07/02/2023
FAO, in collaboration with the Data Strategy, hosted a webinar on the use of Earth Observation data for the production of official agricultural statistics and SDG indicators.
Collecting data and predicting real time crop area and yield is difficult and expensive. FAO, through the EOSTAT project, is helping countries in overcoming this challenge and building their technical c...
31/10
2022
The impact of EO for the 2030 Agenda | GEO Week
Virtual Event, 31/10/2022
Seven years into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and its dedicated SDG initiative, Earth Observations for Sustainable Development Goals (EO4SDG), working with partners globally and locally, have laid the foundation for governments and or...
Methodology
Tier: I
Data
Related publications
- Using Standardized Time Series Land Cover Maps to Monitor the SDG Indicator “Mountain Green Cover Index” and Assess Its Sensitivity to Vegetation Dynamics
- Mapping the vulnerability of mountain peoples to food insecurity
- Keeping an eye on SDG 15
Related link
External links
Focal point
Contact