GOAL 7

Ensure environmental sustainability

Immediate action is needed to contain rising greenhouse gas emissions

Success in limiting ozone-depleting substances is also helping to mitigate climate change

•Deforestation continues to pose serious challenges, even though the net loss of forest area is slowing down. •Forests play a crucial role in mitigating climate change.•The total forest area designated primarily for biodiversity conservation has increased by an estimated 96 million hectares, or almost one third, since 1990

The number of species threatened with extintion is rising rapidly

Trends in extinction risks can be measured by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List Index, which shows the net balance between genuine improvements in the status of species

The index for birds shows that they are least threatened in Northern Africa and Western Asia, and most threatened in Oceania, where island species are often susceptible to invasive species humans have deliberately or inadvertently introduced.

Several other classes of organisms, such as mammals, amphibians, cycads and conifers have been found to be even more threatened than birds.

Fish stocks require improved fisheries management to reduce depletion

The proportion of overexploited and depleted stocks in marine capture fisheries has increased slightly over the past 20 years, while the proportion of underexploited and moderately exploited stocks has decreased.

A number of initiatives have taken hold in this direction, such as reducing total allowable catches of commercial species, reducing bycatch of vulnerable species, and establishing marine

protected areas.

Almost half of the world’s population face a scarcity of water

Surface water and ground water withdrawal as percentage of total actual renewable water resources

Water use has grown at more than twice the rate of the population for the past century.

More people are using improved sanitation facilities, but meeting the target will require a redoubling of efforts

In developing regions, nearly one in four uses no form of sanitation

Almost a quarter of the developing world ’s population live without any form of sanitation. An additional 15 per cent use sanitation facilities that do not ensure hygienic separation of human waste from human contact. Of the 1.2 billion people worldwide who practise open defecation, more than one billion live in rural areas.

Women shoulder the largest burden in collecting water

Recent findings confirm anecdotal evidence that women shoulder the bulk of responsibility for collecting water when none is available on the premises. Women are more than twice as likely as men to collect water, while children usually collect water in 11 per cent of households. More girls than boys fetch water.

Simple, low-cost interventions could significantly improve the lives of many slum dwellers

Project carried out by:

Fumagalli Maria

Re Valeria

Baffa Aldo