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] By 2050 the world's most suitable arabica land - the top suitability class - shrinks by 54.4% under the lowest-emissions pathway and 59.5% under the highest. Iluminar Coffee
• [New] To restore the world's biodiversity, reverse nature loss, and reach net-zero by 2050, more than US$ 3 trillion in financing will be needed each year. PAA
• [New] Now that myrtle rust has been detected in Western Australia, a biodiversity hotspot with more than a thousand Myrtaceae taxa, most of which are expected to be susceptible. Center for Invasive Species Prevention
• [New] The forests of the Southern Hemisphere faces an elevated risk from introductions of tree-killing arthropods and pathogens. Center for Invasive Species Prevention
• [New] The Bureau of Land Management plans to gather and remove about 40 wild horses from the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range in fall 2026 using low-stress bait trap methods. Bureau of Land Management
• [New] A well-designed approach to space mining might someday help to take pressure off Earth's ecosystem by providing an alternative to dwindling resources, and space-borne manufacturing centers might alleviate pollution on Earth. EBSCO
• [New] There are 16 global hotspots that are at high risk of reservoir sedimentation, threatening water supplies to more than 2 billion people and impacting more than a quarter of global irrigated land. Live Science
• [New] Biodiversity loss has been recognized as a threat to global stability for decades. Live Science
• [New] Natural Resources Wales has reported pressure on aquatic ecosystems, agriculture, wildlife and land, alongside concerns about river temperatures, fish welfare and wildfire risk. Water Magazine
• [New] Fear of Eviction and Buffer-Zone Misconceptions: Widespread panic exists among residents that 10-kilometer buffer zones will lead to forced relocations, land rights rejections, and loss of access to minor forest produce. Insights IAS
• [New] Non-household cockroaches in the Philippines are far more vulnerable, says Lucanas, who points to threats such as global heating and habitat destruction, as land is developed or exploited for mining. The Guardian
• [New] Over the next few decades, the world's farmers will need to produce much more food to feed a growing population while using much less land and doing much less damage to nature to avoid cascading environmental crises. Wired
• [New] Saudi Arabia, which has sought in recent years to avoid a new war on its southern borders, is facing a more complex equation with the threat shifting from land to sea, and the targeting of one of the most important alternative routes for its oil exports. Al Jazeera
• An international agreement commits nations to conserve and effectively manage at least 30% of land, inland waters, coastal areas and oceans by 2030. Religion Media Centre
• In 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia, countries will review progress toward the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted at COP 15 as a roadmap to reverse biodiversity loss and help people live in better harmony with nature. UN News
• The world population is expected to grow by nearly 2 billion people over the next three decades, which is placing immense pressure on existing arable land. Market Data Forecast
• A transformed future food system could result in the largest absolute reduction (-274 Mha) in agricultural land in more than 2,000 years, whereas current trends suggest a net increase by 2050 (6%, six models from 1% to 7%). Nature
• Although grazing land may have already peaked in the last 20 years, the size of overall agricultural land reduction by 2050 suggested in EL2 is probably without precedent. Nature
• Agriculture-related net CO2 emissions from land use change in the EL2 scenario fell by 85% versus 2020 levels (four models, -117% to -66%) and are 76% lower relative to BAU by 2050 (four models, -113% to -67%). Nature
• The Thai IoT Association will contribute insights into securing the rapidly expanding Internet of Things ecosystem, a critical topic as smart devices proliferate in business and daily life. ETCIOSEA
• Queensland is a land of opportunity. The Premier of Queensland
• The strong dependence on the Nvidia ecosystem poses risks for the nascent industry in China. Merics
• The target species threaten primarily tree species not native to Australia but important to commercial forestry or urban forests: Asian longhorned beetle, burnt pine longicorn, pine pitch canker, pine wilt disease, red turpentine beetle, Asian spongy moth, red needle cast, and sudden oak death. Center for Invasive Species Prevention

Last updated: 24 August 2026