Earth from the space with astronaut Maurizio Cheli

"A thin blue line on the horizon with the darkness of the universe behind it: we are talking about the atmosphere and how much it is a symbol of the fragility of our Planet," these are the words of astronaut and pilot Maurizio Cheli spoken during the interview dedicated to sustainability and innovation.

In the 15th round of #BG4SDGs, the focus shifts to the preservation of the planet and in particular addresses some of the issues related to the 15th SDGs "Life on Earth" with the point of view of an astronaut who went to space, a real laboratory of knowledge and offering experimentation in the biological and technological fields.

"Space offers itself today as a laboratory for research and development of solutions in different fields of human knowledge with the aim of addressing the technological gap that still separates us from achieving the goals presented in the UN 2030 agenda," Cheli comments.

Deforestation and desertification-caused by human activities and climate change-pose considerable challenges in terms of sustainable development, and have affected the lives and livelihoods of millions of people struggling with poverty. Many efforts are being made to manage forests and combat desertification.

Forests cover 30 percent of the earth's surface, and in addition to providing safe food and shelter, they are essential for combating climate change, and protecting biodiversity and indigenous people's dwellings. Thirteen million hectares of forests are lost each year, while persistent land degradation has led to the desertification of 3.6 billion hectares.

"When you fly into space aboard a shuttle you realize you are inside a craft without which you could not survive. If you look a little further down, a planet traveling with about 8 billion people. And it is precisely at that moment, when you look at the Earth, that drought, deforestation, pollution, melting glaciers turn into images that leave the mere form of abstract concepts," Maurizio Cheli concludes.