The State of Forests and Land

Forests, grasslands, wetlands and other terrestrial ecosystems are essential to life on Earth. They provide homes for wildlife, store carbon, sustain livelihoods, purify water and supply food, medicine and other resources people depend on. But agricultural expansion, direct exploitation, pollution and other human pressures are putting these benefits — and human well-being — at risk while intensifying the climate and biodiversity crises.

Yet despite what’s at stake, global efforts to conserve these ecosystems are falling short. What will it take to change course and secure a more sustainable future for people and nature?

The research identifies six critical shifts needed to conserve terrestrial ecosystems:

• Effectively halt deforestation and degradation
• Restore deforested and degraded terrestrial ecosystems
• Sustainably manage ecosystems to reduce GHG emissions and enhance carbon removals
• Sharply reduce pollution
• Halt the overexploitation of terrestrial species
• Dramatically slow the spread of invasive alien species

Speakers will explore what the latest evidence reveals about progress and setbacks, where action needs to accelerate, and what it will take to halt and reverse the loss of terrestrial ecosystems and species.