Global Scans · Life on Land · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss,

• [New] The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework commits governments to protect 30% of land and ocean by 2030, mobilize $220 billion a year, and reform $500 billion in harmful subsidies. Forbes
• [New] 33% of the world's land is threatened by desertification, with 25% of European agricultural soils severely damaged. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Afghanistan's geography still holds enormous potential: a land bridge linking Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East. JIFAD
• [New] As human activities encroach on wildlife habitats and interactions between species intensify, the spread of infectious diseases poses a significant and growing threat to global biodiversity. discoverwildscience
• [New] With 65% of the world's uncultivated arable land and a vast labour force, Africa has immense potential for growth. CNBC Africa
• [New] The National Trust, a UK conservation non-profit, issued a warning about the commercial picking of mushrooms and wild garlic, saying that people had taken too much and harmed fragile ecosystems. BBC
• [New] The Puri Airport has received in-principle approval, with land and site issues resolved, Odisha will now lead further action. Odisha Television Limited
• [New] Recognizing the vulnerabilities of manned platforms, Turkey emphasizes the development of autonomous systems within a fully integrated ecosystem of platforms, propulsion, weapons, and avionics optimized for unmanned and autonomous operations. Defense Update: - Military Technology & Defense News
• [New] While risks of overcapacity, land conflict, and trade tensions remain, China's solar push has permanently reshaped global energy economics and geopolitics. CXOTECH - Digital Leaders of The Future
• [New] Marine Ecosystem Impacts: Offshore drilling and increased maritime traffic pose risks to marine biodiversity in Guyana's coastal waters. Discovery Alert
• [New] By 2027 Cardano's ecosystem maturation - with numerous dApps, increased DeFi TVL, and possibly a few killer app deployments - could push ADA toward new all-time highs. PrimeXBT
• [New] The Mid-Barataria project was projected to rebuild more than 20 square miles of land over about 50 years by diverting sediment-laden water from the Mississippi River. Honolulu Civil Beat
• [New] The early origins of Brazil's modern-day favelas date to 18th century settlements erected by former slaves who lacked land ownership and employment opportunities. Global Sherpa
• [New] The U.S. Artemis program aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2025/2026 and establish a long-term research station, whereas China (with Russia as a partner) plans its own International Lunar Research Station in the 2030s. TS2 Space
• At special risk are the Tongass and Chugach National Forests in Alaska, known locally as the salmon forests because they supply 48 million salmon annually to the commercial fishing industry. Bee City USA
• H5N 1 now presents an existential threat to the world's biodiversity. FluTrackers News and Information
• 65% of the world's arable land is at risk from pesticide pollution. Nature
• As the nickel mining industry has expanded in Global South countries like Indonesia, biodiversity-rich areas like West Papua's Raja Ampat archipelago are under threat of destruction. Greenpeace Southeast Asia

Last updated: 07 September 2025