Our Scans · (LF.15) 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] Coastal erosion is a complex and multifaceted environmental issue that threatens the stability and resilience of coastal ecosystems and communities worldwide. Omics International
• [New] The charity Environmental Justice Foundation has described it as one of the largest unregulated squid fisheries in the world, warning that the scale of activities could destabilise an entire ecosystem. The Guardian
• [New] By 2026, Southeast Asia's sustainable land leases are projected to reach 800,000 acres, up 15% from 2024. Farmonaut
• [New] Under the updated Baltic Sea Action Plan adopted in 2021, the nine coastal countries have committed to implementing concrete measures by 2030 to reduce pollution, improve water quality and strengthen ecosystem resilience. Caliber.az
• [New] Overfishing continues to threaten several species in the Baltic ecosystem. Caliber.az
• [New] More than 300 native plant species, including ghaf and acacia trees, will be planted to help restore Kuwait's desert ecosystem. HalalZilla
• [New] Improper disposal of trees, wreaths, and garlands can introduce invasive insects, weeds, or pathogens that pose a risk to Minnesota ecosystems. The Daily Agenda
• [New] Due to rising global temperatures, glaciers are disappearing at an alarming rate, threatening ecosystems, economies, cultures and livelihoods. United Nations Western Europe
• [New] Rising global temperatures are causing glaciers to melt rapidly, reshaping ecosystems, threatening food and water security and increasing disaster risks. United Nations Western Europe
• [New] The accelerated rates of mortality will have major implications for the integrity of ecosystems, levels of carbon storage, and suitability of ecosystems for many elements of biodiversity. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] Higher tree mortality could mean we have been overestimating the amount of carbon stored by forests in revegetation or carbon credit schemes. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] Forests could not be relied on to offset ongoing fossil fuel emissions. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] Of all the developments in the compliance arena - from the rapid expansion of AI governance to heightened consumer protection expectations - none will have as profound or as immediate an impact on day-to-day operations as the CTA's beneficial ownership reporting ecosystem. / USA Global Compliance Institute
• [New] Beneficial microbes, particularly plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, are key to microbiome engineering for enhancing plant tolerance to drought and salinity stress, which threaten over 40% of global agricultural land and are increasingly intensified by climate change [218,219,220,221]. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Drought poses a significant threat to animals and crops, affecting up to 45% of the world's agricultural land, which is home to 38% of the global population. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] The One Ocean Partnership, which launched at COP 30, aims to mobilize $20 billion for coastal resilience, blue-carbon ecosystems, and ocean protection; create 20 million blue jobs worldwide; and restore 20 million hectares of marine ecosystems by 2030. Countercurrents
• [New] As Singapore's culinary scene matures, however, chefs expect to see more local and regional ingredients percolating through the ecosystem. ST
• [New] At current rates, entire ecosystems could shift from native to invasive dominance within a generation. The Cool Down
• [New] Illegal land grabs and settlement expansion have ramped up - enabled by the Israeli state - while tens of thousands of people displaced by major army raids on refugee camps and cities in the north still have no idea of when they will be able to return. Big Issue
• [New] Today, the Armenian community and the Armenian Patriarchate stand united to nullify the purported 98-year lease that threatens to sever more than 10,000 square meters of historic Armenian land from the Quarter. Horizon
• [New] Two themes on human rights in conflict areas and protecting biodiversity will be extended, as wars in Gaza and Ukraine continue, and following the launch of Robeco's Climate and Nature Transition Plan 2025-2030. Robeco.com - The investment engineers
• [New] A tree-planting effort using the DNA of the world's mightiest trees could help save the world's last old-growth forests from extinction. Reasons to be Cheerful
• [New] At least 17 of the 36 globally recognized biodiversity hotspots - including Madagascar and parts of Southeast Asia and Brazil - show a trend of declining freshwater availability and have a heightened risk of wildfires. Live Science

Last updated: 12 January 2026