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How Is the Forest Sector’s Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Being Addressed? A Systematic Review of the Methods

Author

Listed:
  • Renata Aguayo Lopes da Silva

    (Chair of Forest Operations, University of Freiburg, Werthmannstr. 6, 79085 Freiburg, Germany)

  • Renato Cesar Gonçalves Robert

    (Department of Forest Engineering and Technology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Av. Prefeito Lothário Meissner 632, Curitiba 80210-170, Brazil)

  • Thomas Purfürst

    (Chair of Forest Operations, University of Freiburg, Werthmannstr. 6, 79085 Freiburg, Germany)

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals, developed in 2015 by the United Nations, are a set of 17 internationally agreed-upon goals to be reached by 2030. The forest sector stands out as an important player in tackling climate change and strengthening sustainable initiatives. However, in addition to investigating the synergies and trade-offs between the forest sector and the SDGs, it is important to comprehend how this relationship has been measured. We conducted a systematic review to understand which methods have been used to understand the contributions of the forest sector to the SDGs. Following the PRISMA protocol, we screened 1064 articles from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, written in English and published between 2015 and November 2022. With the assistance of CADIMA 2.2.4 and Atlas.Ti 22, 83 articles were selected for further investigation. As a result, we categorized the studies into eight methods: content analysis, personal perceptions, interpretative analysis, frameworks, models, impact analysis, time series data, and SDG index. The approaches used include nature-based solutions, literature reviews, the Delphi method, case studies, the iSDG model, SDG 15 indicators, Earth observations, and remote sensing. In conclusion, although the SDGs are widely referenced, studies that measure and explore the relationship between the forest sector and SDGs in a more holistic way are still lacking. This systematic review aimed to offer an overview of the methods being used to address this topic and stimulate future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Renata Aguayo Lopes da Silva & Renato Cesar Gonçalves Robert & Thomas Purfürst, 2023. "How Is the Forest Sector’s Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Being Addressed? A Systematic Review of the Methods," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-25, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:11:p:8988-:d:1162590
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