Leaders appeal for preservation of forests

On the occasion of World Wildlife Day, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to ensure the protection of animals and preservation of forests and safe habitats.

Hyderabad:This year the World Wildlife Day is being celebrated under the theme "Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet", as a way to highlight the central role of forests, forest species and ecosystems services in sustaining the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people globally, and particularly of Indigenous and local communities with historic ties to forested and forest-adjacent areas.

World Wildlife Day is observed annually on March 3 to celebrate and raise awareness of the world's flora and fauna.

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Meanwhile, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday appealed to ensure the protection of animals and preserve forest and safe habitats for them.

In a tweet, the Vice President said: "On this World Wildlife Day, let us all put in dedicated efforts to save and preserve the wildlife and create greater awareness on the need to maintain a healthy ecological balance on our planet."

Prime Minister Modi saluted those working towards wildlife protection on World Wildlife Day and Tweeted: "Be it lions, tigers, and leopards, India is seeing a steady rise in the population of various animals. We should do everything possible to ensure the protection of our forests and safe habitats for animals."

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On 20 December 2013, at its 68th session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 3 March as UN World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants.

Facts to Know

The planet’s forests are home to some 80 percent of all terrestrial wild species.

They help regulate the climate and support the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people.

Some 90 percent of the world’s poorest people are dependent in some way on forest resources.

This is particularly true for indigenous communities that live in or near forests.

Some 28 percent of the world’s land is managed by indigenous communities, including some of the most intact forests on the planet.

Forests provide livelihoods and cultural identity.

The unsustainable exploitation of forests harm these communities and contributes to biodiversity loss and climate disruption.

Every year, we lose 4.7 million hectares of forests – an area larger than Denmark.

Unsustainable agriculture is a major cause.

So is global timber trafficking, which accounts for up to 90 percent of tropical deforestation in some countries.

It also attracts the world’s biggest organized crime groups.

The illegal trade in wild animal species is another threat, increasing the risks of zoonotic diseases, such as Ebola and COVID-19.

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