The survival of people and wildlife depends on the health of the land. The economic prosperity of a country is linked to the richness of its resources. But our demand for these is destroying the land and all it harbors.

Our consumption of the earth's natural reserves has doubled in the last 30 years. Now, a third of the planet's land is severely degraded. Each year, we lose 15 billion trees and 24 billion tonnes of fertile soil. And at least 10,000 species go extinct every year.

The land we live on is being strained to breaking point, so restoration and conservation are key to its survival.

"earthrise" travels to the dry forests of southern Ecuador and the ancestral lands of the indigenous peoples in western Australia to learn how these communities are working to protect the unique ecosystems currently at risk due to natural and man-made disasters.