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SDG 15: Afforest For Future is transforming deserts into forests

"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second-best is today!" CEO of Afforest For Future, Dr. Techn. Vesela Tanaskovic.

17.04.2020.

We talked to the team to tell us more about what they do. Read their story:

"Afforest for Future has developed several solutions to address the SDG13, some of which include regreening - afforesting - the world’s deserts. Our founder Dr.Techn Vesela Tanaskovic developed and received a patent for it, and this methodology, in particular, addresses SDG 15 very well.

This proactive solution aims to make desert landscapes suitable to sink billions of tons of carbon, while producing food, securing jobs and livelihoods for the local population, all the while maintaining water security. How? We focus on managing the dams and their sediments, using later to create topsoil on which afterward local people can plant agroforestry systems we provide. In this way not only are we saving precious water resources and providing social security, but we are also creating food, jobs all the while sinking carbon and making sure that life on land, especially in the most fragile regions = deserts = is livable during the climate crisis.

Other solutions we have developed include dam maintenance and monitoring, tree tracking, compounding knowledge in our Desert Research Hub and several other solutions, all working jointly towards SDG 15 Life on Land and SDG 13 Climate Action. Our solutions tackle the climate change issue from a different perspective. We have a holistic, system approach tailored to each specific location. This way of thinking and doing allows us to contribute to multiple SDGs at a time."

How did you start?

"We started in 2016 as an NGO from Vienna, founded by two sisters passionate about climate change and sustainable development of future ecosystems. Now our core team has more members from Serbia, Argentina, and Austria. We complement each other's ideas and views on sustainability, social and climate-related actions. Diversity of our backgrounds helps us develop and maintain a versatile approach."

What is your opinion on achieving the SDG 15 by 2030?

“I love the old saying: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second-best is today! Unfortunately, the sad truth is that most SDGs are not going to be met, the same goes for SDG 15. The situation got a bit better, but on many fronts, we are worse off than when the SDGs were first put in place, this goes for the SDG 15. It is enough to say that since putting in place we’ve lost ⅕ of total Earth’s land due to degradation, like manmade desertification, urbanization, etc. The only SDG that in my belief is close to fulfillment is SDG 7, which was greatly influenced by the emergence of exponential technologies and the disruption they have created in solar and wind markets.” says CEO of Afforest For Future, Dr. Techn.Vesela Tanaskovic.

“The sustainable development goals have reached their final years, we can see that a lot has been achieved. We are however far away from fulfilling any of the goals in their entirety. This is why we must explore more with the uses of exponential technologies in reaching SDGs, and use this pandemic as a restart button to create a world worth leaving to our children. I am consulting several expert groups that are working on making sustainability exponential and I see hope.” concluded Ms. Tanaskovic.