SDG 15, which focuses on the protection of terrestrial ecosystems, is facing major challenges due to the extensive Russian war in Ukraine. More than 900 protected areas, representing 48% of Ukraine’s total land area, have been affected. The military actions led to forest fires, soil contamination and a reduction of the protected ecosystem area. The authors point out that the achievement of SDG 15 tasks is hindered by the consequences of the war, but other challenges such as illegal ploughing, the lack of a specialised state agency and insufficient biodiversity monitoring and management problems also jeopardise Ukraine’s commitment to SDG 15. With their recommendations for the government, communities as well as non-governmental organisations and scientists, the authors show how progress towards SDG 15 can be accelerated.
The “Spotlight Report on the Implementation of SDG 15: Life on Land in Ukraine” emerges as a collaborative effort between NGO Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group and NGO All-Ukrainian Environmental League with support from the German Federal Foreign Office.
