What is the goal of SDG 14: Life Below Water?

The goal of SDG 14: Life Below Water is to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development. This goal recognizes the critical importance of the world's oceans and marine ecosystems in supporting life on Earth, providing livelihoods, and contributing to economic growth.

SDG 14 aims to address the various challenges faced by marine ecosystems, including overfishing, pollution, habitat destruction, and the impacts of climate change. It emphasizes the need to protect and restore marine biodiversity, promote sustainable fisheries, reduce marine pollution, and enhance the resilience of coastal communities.

Specific targets under SDG 14 include:

1. By 2020, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, particularly from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution.
2. By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including through the establishment of effectively managed marine protected areas.
3. Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels.
4. By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and destructive fishing practices, and implement science-based management plans to restore fish stocks.
5. By 2020, conserve at least 10% of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information.
6. Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources.

Achieving SDG 14 requires collaboration and partnerships among governments, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector. It involves promoting sustainable practices in fisheries, reducing marine pollution, protecting vulnerable marine ecosystems, and ensuring the sustainable use of marine resources for present and future generations. By addressing the challenges faced by our oceans, SDG 14 contributes to the overall sustainable development agenda and the well-being of both people and the planet.