Post a comment on the text below

2.10 Related products

Contact - info@eea.europa.eu

UN SDGs - 17 goals from https://w3.unece.org/SDG/Home

SDG 6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Target 6.4 By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity.

Indicator 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources, (%)

SDG 15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt the reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

Target 15.1 By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements

Indicator 15.1.2: Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered by protected areas, by ecosystem type

Target 15.3 By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world.

Indicator 15.3.1 Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area, (%)

SDG15 is linked with SDG6 as an ecosystem service, water availability and quality are derived from well-functioning ecosystems, in particular forest ecosystems, as are water storage and flow regulation, filtering and flood and drought protection, among others (WWF, 2018). Conserving and sustainably managing ecosystems is integral to effective land-use management and a sustainable and healthy food production and this in turn helps to reliably store and deliver water. Key functions inherent to forests relating to groundwater availability and cooling include:

• Decreasing groundwater levels, due to climate change or poor groundwater management, is one of the factors that may lead to desertification;
• Wetlands and other groundwater dependent ecosystems require availability and sustainable management of groundwater;
• Trees enhance soil infiltration and, under suitable conditions, improve groundwater recharge;
• Precipitation filtered through forested catchments delivers purified ground- and surface water.