The growing difference among urban, rural and forest systems, due to population increase, concentration in large urban systems, increased demands for food, energy and materials, as well as increased land use, and the expenses of rural and forest areas, is becoming a challenge for a number of important aspects, including biodiversity, energy consumption, climate change, heat waves, biodiversity within and outside cities. The sustainability of large populations in urban systems, the inequality of land use and life styles, as well as impact generation to ecosystems and different species generate hard to face problems concerning resource use, pollution, climate resilience, mitigation and global sustainability. Strategies for urban development as well as appropriate relation between urban systems and surrounding areas are crucial for the sustainability of all species.

The diversity of worldwide ecosystems is a special characteristic of our planet, providing habitats for all species. The trend of such diversity towards more homogeneous systems decreases the richness of biosphere and the available living areas for different land, air and water species. The reduction of wetlands and forests are two typical and evident examples of disappearing ecosystem diversity, due to human activities expansion for economic and survival reasons. It is crucial to plan human activities (urbanization, mining, agriculture, trade, tourism, among others) in a way that do not affect the survival of living species on the planet. Considering the increasing population of human species, it clearly appears that the problem will be designing different patterns of production and consumption, in order to mitigate the already existing large-scale impacts (climate change, water availability and quality, land quality) and still allow sustainable life to all species.

Agriculture and livestock should not only be considered the starting point of the food chain, but instead activities to ensure ecosystems, human and animal health, generating food but also providing ecosystem services (CO₂ uptake, land quality control and management, water circulation, biodiversity, pollination, among others). However, intensive agriculture and livestock are affecting both the quality of food, the quality of ecosystems and their biodiversity, and the quality of social life in rural areas. It should not be disregarded that intensive agriculture demands large amounts of energy for machinery and chemicals, with additional impacts on ecosystems and biosphere sustainability. Therefore, strategies for sustainable and resilient agriculture are needed, based on quality of processes, quality of products and maintenance of the ability of agriculture to provide ecosystems services to all species.

Urban, industrial and agricultural water demand and consumption as well as conversion to wastewater are becoming a crucial problem in a growing population planet, with non-negligible consequences on energy consumption and all species life. Strategies to decrease water consumption as well as to recover wastewater and convert it into still and again usable water (irrigation, hydroelectricity, chemical use), byproducts (fertilizers, biogas, algae), climate mitigation options, are absolutely needed. Same applies to the increased waste generation by cities, industries and agriculture, that require appropriate processes for waste management and conversion to usable products. A circular economy approach applied to waste and wastewater is needed to decrease polluting impacts and make again available large amounts of resources to humans and other species.

Mobility (trade, tourism, business, among others) is affecting all ecosystems worldwide. Marine, land and air traffic are dramatically impacting the living areas of humans and other species (new buildings, new road, new airports and related increase of traffic and pollution). Mobility infrastructures and innovative devices both for people and commodities transport (high speed trains, electric vehicles, local and international flights, marine transport of fuels, minerals and manufactured goods) demand increasing amounts of resources and increasingly affect the environmental sustainability and quality of life. Strategies for more sustainable mobility are needed together with strategies for decreased mobility, in order to ensure decreased consumption of resources and decreased impacts on human quality of life and worldwide biodiversity.