Implementation of land and soil-related SDG's
In 2015 the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); a set of 17 goals aimed to be the roadmap for society to move from exploitation to sustainable use of our planets resources and from inequality, poverty and hunger to a proper education and good life for all. The EU has committed to implement the SDGs both in its internal and external policies.
A robust soil-water system is essential to achieve most of those SDGs. Generally, it is acknowledged that the water-land-soil system plays an important role for SDG 15, especially SDG15.3, “Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss “.
Next to SDG 15, there are several other SDGs closely connected to land and soil: SDG 2, 3, 6, 8, 12, 13. Since many claims on land and soils are made at the same time, it is necessary to have more insights in these claims, potential synergies and trade-offs. In many governance and regulatory documents the necessity to conserve this integrated picture of a healthy, properly functioning soil is not reflected, and therefore not addressed in a sufficient way.
Therefore, an analysis of the progress of the implementation of land and soil-related SDG targets in the EU is timely, taking due consideration of the 2030 Agenda commitments which date, in terms of the natural system, is fast approaching. Urgent action is needed to implement Sustainable land management to conserve and restore land resources.
For this we not only need an analysis of the state of play of the implementation of land and soil-related SDGs in the EU, in particular on the Land Degradation Neutrality target (15.3), we also need a platform that will provide the possibility to exchange ideas and progress on best practices between the MS on the implementation of land and soil-related SDGs.
The general objective of this study contract is to analyse the progress of the implementation of land and soil-related SDG targets in the EU taking due consideration of the 2030 Agenda commitments, and to provide a platform for exchanges on best practices between the MS on the implementation of land and soil-related SDGs.
