This article relates to Goal 15: Life on land, one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Goal icon by the United Nations. Emberoot is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the UN.
SDG 15 progress around the world looks very different depending on where you stand. Some countries are slowing forest loss sharply, others are planting at scale, and some regions still have most of their key wildlife areas unprotected. This article compares approaches in South America, Asia, the Gulf and Africa, using official figures where they exist. For the global targets and data, start with our Goal 15 overview.
The global baseline
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026 puts world forest cover at 31.8 per cent of land, with 41 million hectares lost since 2015. Protection of Key Biodiversity Areas averaged 45 per cent by 2025, but the spread is wide: above 60 per cent in Europe and Northern America, and below 25 per cent in parts of Oceania. That gap is a useful reminder that a single global number hides very different national stories.
Brazil: measuring the Amazon every year
Brazil publishes an official deforestation figure for the Amazon every year. Its space agency INPE runs PRODES, which measures clearing in the Amazon each year from August to July. For the year to July 2025, INPE reported 5,731 square kilometres of deforestation, down 12.07 per cent from 6,518 square kilometres the year before.
Alongside the government figures, the MapBiomas network publishes free annual land use maps from 1985. Having two independent sources makes it harder for anyone to dispute what is happening on the ground. The lesson for other countries is simple: regular, public, comparable data is the base on which enforcement and policy are built.
India: forest cover and big cats
India reports on its forests every two years through the India State of Forest Report. The 2023 edition, published in December 2024, found that forest and tree cover together reached 827,357 square kilometres, or 25.17 per cent of the country’s area, according to the government’s Press Information Bureau. Forest cover on its own was about 21.76 per cent. Tree cover outside forests, on farms and in towns, makes up the rest, which is a reminder that India’s headline figure includes trees that do not function as natural forest.
India’s tiger programme is its most visible wildlife effort. The government’s 2022 tiger estimation summary gave a minimum population of 3,167, up from 2,967 in 2018, and said India is home to more than 70 per cent of the world’s wild tigers. Tigers need large, connected habitat, so protecting them also protects forests, grasslands and rivers.
The UAE: mangroves on a desert coast
The UAE has little forest, but its coastal mangroves store carbon, shelter young fish and protect shorelines. The country has set a target of planting 100 million mangroves by 2030. In August 2026, Gulf News reported, citing the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, that the country had reached 51 per cent of that target. In Abu Dhabi, a 2020 habitat map by the Environment Agency estimated 176 square kilometres of mangroves, all of one species, the grey mangrove, as reported by The National.
Planting counts are a start, not an end. What matters over time is how many seedlings survive and whether the new stands become healthy habitat. Survival rates are the figure to watch in future reporting.
Africa: the Great Green Wall
Across the Sahel, the Great Green Wall is an African-led effort to restore land on the edge of the Sahara. The UN Convention to Combat Desertification says it aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 across 22 African countries, sequester 250 million tonnes of carbon and create 10 million green jobs. It reports more than 14 billion US dollars raised and pledged. Independent progress figures are harder to find, and we could not verify a current restored area from official sources.
Patterns worth copying
Across these examples, the approaches that show results combine open measurement with someone who acts on it. Brazil’s yearly figures give enforcement agencies and the public a shared evidence base. India’s tiger counts rose alongside long-term protected area management. The UAE’s mangrove programme has clear targets and public updates. The Great Green Wall shows how hard it is to raise and track money across many countries.
For businesses buying from these regions, the practical takeaway is to ask suppliers which of these systems their land falls under and what the latest data says. Our guides on the Global Goals cover the business side, and our strategy service can help a team decide which markets and suppliers to focus on first.
Frequently asked questions
Which country is doing best on SDG 15?
There is no single ranking. Performance depends on the indicator: forest cover, protected areas, species risk or land degradation. Europe and Northern America protect more of their key biodiversity areas on average, while countries such as Brazil have cut deforestation rates in recent years. Comparing trends over time is more useful than league tables.
How much of India is covered by forest?
The India State of Forest Report 2023 found forest cover of about 21.76 per cent of the country’s area, rising to 25.17 per cent when tree cover outside forests is included. That combined figure is 827,357 square kilometres. The report is published every two years by the Forest Survey of India.
Why are mangroves important for the UAE?
Mangroves protect coastlines from erosion, provide nursery habitat for fish and birds, and store carbon in their soils. In a country with little natural forest, they are among the most valuable land and coastal habitats. The UAE aims to plant 100 million mangroves by 2030 and reported reaching 51 per cent of that target in 2026.