The International Day of Forests was established on the 21st day of March, by resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on November 28, 2012. Each year, various events celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests, and trees outside forests, for the benefit of current and future generations. Countries are encouraged to undertake efforts to organize local, national, and international activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns, on International Day of Forests. The Secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization, facilitates the implementation of such events in collaboration with governments, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, and international, regional and sub-regional organizations. International Day of Forests was observed for the first time on March 21, 2013.

The theme of the International Day of Forests-2018 is “Forests and Sustainable Cities”

Forests and the cities:

Forest and trees store carbon which helps mitigate the impacts of climate change, in and around urban areas.

local population use fruits, nuts, leaves, and insects found in urban trees to produce food and medicines for use in home or as a source of income.

Urban green spaces, including forests, encourage active and healthy lifestyles, improve mental health, prevent disease and provide a place for people to socialize.

Trees reduce noise pollution as they shield homes from nearby roads and industrial areas.

International Year of Forests:

The year 2011 was declared the International Year of Forests by the United Nations to raise awareness and strengthen the sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests for the benefit of current and future generations.

Importance of Forest:

The importance of forests cannot be underestimated. We depend on forests for our survival, from the air we breathe to the wood we use. Besides providing habitats for animals and livelihoods for humans, forests also offer watershed protection, prevent soil erosion and mitigate climate change. Yet, despite our dependence on forests, we are still allowing them to disappear.

Over 2 billion people rely on forests

Forests provide us with shelter, livelihoods, water, food and fuel security. All these activities directly or indirectly involve forests. Some are easy to figure out - fruits, paper and wood from trees, and so on. Others are less obvious, such as by-products that go into everyday items like medicines, cosmetics and detergents.

Habitats for biodiversity and livelihood for humans

Looking at it beyond our narrow, human – not to mention urban – perspective, forests provide habitats to diverse animal species. They are home to 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, and they also form the source of livelihood for many different human settlements, including 60 million indigenous people.

Forests provide jobs for more than 13 million people across the world

In addition, 300 million people live in forests, including 60 million indigenous people. Yet, we are losing them. Between 1990 and 2015, the world lost some 129 million ha of forest, an area the size of South Africa. When we take away the forest, it is not just the trees that go. The entire ecosystem begins to fall apart, with dire consequences for all of us.

After oceans, forests are the world’s largest storehouses of carbon

They provide ecosystem services that are critical to human welfare. These include:

Absorbing harmful greenhouse gasses that produce climate change. In tropical forests alone, a quarter of a trillion tons of carbon is stored in above and below ground biomass

Providing clean water for drinking, bathing, and other household needs

Protecting watersheds and reducing or slowing the amount of erosion and chemicals that reach waterways

Providing food and medicine

Serving as a buffer in natural disasters like flood and rainfalls

Providing habitat to more than half of the world’s land-based species

Save forest, save environment, save life. Let’s make our cities greener, healthier and happier places to live. 😊 😊

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