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Every year on March 21, the world commemorates International Day of Forests with the goal of raising awareness about the extraordinary role forests play in sustaining life on this planet. Forests provide animals and humans with food, water, and shelter. They mitigate the impact of life-threatening severe storms and climate change. According to the United Nations, forests contain approximately 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, with over 60,000 tree species. Despite this, we are losing 10 million acres of forest each year, an area roughly the size of Iceland.
History
In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly designated March 21 as International Day of Forests to honour and raise awareness about the importance of all types of forests. The declaration urged governments to organise citizens at all levels to carry out activities such as tree-planting campaigns. The United Nations Forum on Forests and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations carry out these activities in collaboration with governments and other organisations.
Theme
Every year, the International Day of Forests is commemorated with a different theme. ‘Forests and Sustainable Demand and Supply’ is the theme for 2022.
Forest sustainable resource management use are critical to preventing climate change and contributing to the prosperity and well-being of current and future generations. Forests are also beneficial in terms of poverty alleviation. Despite these invaluable climate, economic, social, and medical benefits, global deforestation is increasing at an alarming rate.
The UN also produced a video emphasising the importance of wood and how it can be used as a sustainable source when forests are properly managed.
Significance
Forests cover 30% of the Earth’s land surface. They provide clean air and water. According to a UN study, forests have the potential to lift one billion people out of poverty. They have the potential to create an additional 80 million green jobs.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has revealed the deadly consequences of climate change around the world in the coming decades. As a result, today is especially important in encouraging leaders to muster the political will to address one of our times’ most pressing challenges by at least increasing green cover at a time when agricultural land loss is occurring 30-35 times faster than previously estimated. Every year, approximately 10 million hectares are lost, affecting poor communities all over the world.
