Planet Earth is the only known place in the universe which supports life. In fact, carbon-based life and its ability to build a wide variety of compounds with other elements flourishes on Earth. The original forms of life appeared in water, which occupies 71% of the total surface of planet Earth, compared to only 29% of the land mass. Water has been a main medium of life for millions of years. On the other hand, until about 450 million years ago, the mainland was dead and inhospitable. Ever since the first plants came out of the water, and after them the animals, and to this day, land has become the main hub of life on this planet.

For millions of years, life has evolved and changed, so that evolution has created a huge diversity of species, both plants and animals, and other empires. The Reasonable Man (Homo sapiens) appears relatively late when looking at the entire history of the planet. Genetic research today indicates that the functional DNAs of modern humans and Neanderthals have diverged about 500,000 years ago. In this relatively short period man has managed to become the dominant species that inhabits almost every corner of the planet. The impact of humans has increased so much that a large number of scientists propose to call the current geological period the Anthropocene, in terms of how much humans have changed the planet, which leaves a lasting impact.

In the period since the Industrial Revolution, people and the social system in which they live caused changes in biodiversity and abundance of different species. Period after the Second World War was very aggressive for the nature, when, due to the great growth and industrialization, significant, until then wild areas were permanently altered. Forests are particularly affected, as ecosystems which are home to about 80% of terrestrial plants, animals, and insects. Approximately 1.6 billion people are directly dependent on extinct forests, and the poor, women and the indigenous population are particularly affected [1].

Between 2010 and 2015, over 3.3 million hectares of forest were lost [2]. The trend of disappearance of areas under forests has continued over the previous years, and in 2020 it started with large forest fires. During 2019, huge forested areas in the Amazon, Siberia and Africa burned, while the year ended with the largest surface fires affecting Australia's interior. People directly burn forests in order to obtain arable land. Perhaps even more significant is the indirect, climate-induced impact. Global warming has contributed to conditions favoring frequent forest fires, while fires increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, creating feedback in that way.

Decrease surface under forests affects the expansion of deserts and land degradation. Due to droughts and desertification, about 12 million hectars of arable land are lost annually, with as much as 52% of total agricultural land being more or less degraded, directly affecting 74% of the land-bound poor. [3] Desertification and conversion of forest land in agricultural affects the loss of biodiversity. A report about life on the planet by the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) states that between 1970 and 2014 fish, bird, mammal, amphibian and reptile populations averaged declined by 60% because of humans. This is the impact of human activities on forests, oceans, rivers, but also the climate, as one of the basic factors for the reproduction of plant and animal species.

SDG 15 - Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

The problems of biodiversity loss, desertification and arid land, as well as land degradation, have been recognized by the UN as urgent. For this reason, they have been given a special place within the Sustainable Development Goals (COR) - a goal that relates to the living world on land. This SDG has a total of 12 sub-objectives, the implementation of which is measured by monitoring 14 indicators. The sub-objectives relate to various items such as: conservation of biodiversity, halting deforestation and restoration of destroyed ones, promoting sustainable management, combating desertification and land degradation, preserving mountain ecosystems, protecting endangered species, and preventing poaching and trade in protected species, with regulation of invasive species. In addition, by 2020, it is necessary to mobilize and significantly increase funding from all sources for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems.

For now, these goals remain more like a wish list as results are missing, even degradation and loss of biodiversity has continued. Areas under forest ecosystems continued to decline globally from 4.1 billion hectares in 2000 (or 31.2% of total land area) to about 4 billion hectares (30.7% of total land area) in 2015. About one fifth of the total land area shows a decrease in productivity, and approximately 24 million square kilometers of land has been affected by declining yields, including 19% arable land, 16% forest land, 19% grassland and 28% wetland. The number of endangered species on the Red List increased as the trend of illegal trade in protected species continued, with close to 7,000 species of animals and plants reported in illegal trade involving 120 countries. With all these problems, the amount of finance is shrinking, so in 2016 around $ 7 billion was raised globally, down 21% from the same period in 2015 [4].

Serbia and SDG 15

For Serbia, most data for COR 15 are missing. The ones available are mostly related to the afforestation of the territory. In Serbia, about 31% of the territory is afforested, a shift was made between 2000 and 2015, and the area under forest increased from about 28% to 31%. [5] The plan for forests is to be 40% of the territory. The least is the forest in Vojvodina, only 6%. Progress in other SDG 15 sub-objectives remains rather vague, and it is particularly important to emphasize the importance and work to promote this objective on local level.

Despite some progress, it seems that nature protection in Serbia still remains low on the priority list, which can be concluded by a number of recurring problems from year to year. The reasons for this should be sought in the inconsistency of sectoral policies, lack of capacities and resources for planning and implementation of activities, inconsistent law enforcement, lack of adequate control and monitoring, inefficient processing in case of violation of the law and others. Serbia still lacks the Nature Protection Strategy, whose adoption has been prolonged for years, while the Biodiversity Strategy expired in 2018.

Take care of your home, man

As no planet or satellite with any life-form has been found in the solar system so far, and the closest Proxima Kentauri star is beyond 4.2 light-years away, humans are left with no option but to commit to preserving life on planet Earth. If it has succeeded in causing such great changes in just a hundred years, human society must now show the strength and savvy and protect for now its only home, the entire planet, and therefore the hole life on it.

Predrag Momčilović, Belgrade Open School

Photo source: Belgrade Open School