Target 8: By 2020, the rate of loss of all natural habitats, including forests and coastal ecosystems, is at least halved.

Continuous change in land use, derived from the expansion of farming areas for mono-cropping and urban sprawl, has adversely affected various kinds of natural habitats including forests, wetlands and coastal ecosystems. Such impacts have been further exacerbated by the increase in activities that are destructive and harmful to biodiversity such as farming in head watershed areas and illegal fishing. The continues loss of biodiversity from these activities and the lack of documentation on their impacts have hindered efforts to plan and take actions to combat the problem. Thailand has, therefore, identified this target with the view to enable relevant sectors to recognize the importance of reducing the rate of loss of natural habitats to a predetermined milestone.