Hyderabad: The World Forest Day is celebrated every year on March 21. On each World Forest Day, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national, and international efforts to organise activities involving forests and trees like tree planting campaigns.
The theme for each World Forest Day is chosen by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF). The UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO) organise the Day in collaboration with governments, CPF, and others.
The Theme for 2024 World Forest Day is 'Forests and Innovation: New Solutions for a Better World'
IMPORTANCE OF WORLD FOREST DAY:
- Raises awareness: It reminds us of the vital role forests play in our daily lives, providing clean air, water, food, and resources
- Inspires action: It encourages individuals to adopt practices that benefit forests, like reducing paper consumption, choosing sustainably sourced wood products, and supporting conservation efforts
- Connects us to nature: It serves as a reminder of our inter-connectedness with nature and encourages us to appreciate the beauty and ecological value of forests
- Strengthens social bonds: Celebrating forests provides opportunities for communities to come together, participate in tree-planting events, and build a sense of shared responsibility for their environment
- Fosters collaboration: The Day encourages various stakeholders like government agencies, NGOs, and local communities to collaborate on forest conservation and management initiatives
- Promotes education: It provides a platform for educating children and adults about the importance of forests and the threats they face
- Highlights ecosystem services: It shines a light on the vast ecosystem services forests provide, such as regulating climate, filtering air and water, and preventing soil erosion, thereby contributing to global environmental health
- Addresses global challenges: The Day emphasises the role of forests in addressing global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation
- Promotes sustainable development: Forests are crucial for achieving sustainable development goals, and the Day advocates for their protection and integration into development strategies
Facts About Forests:
Forests are home to over 80 per cent of the world's land-based species of animals, plants and insects. These animals help to keep the forest healthy. For example, elephants distribute seeds from fruits they have eaten. When the seeds pass through their gut, they come out undigested in their dung, and germinate in the ground.
- 1/4 Of all modern medicines come From tropical forest plants, including 2/3 of all cancer-fighting drugs
- More than 60 per cent of anticancer drugs originate from natural sources
- Trees redistribute up to 95 per cent of the water they absorb
- 1 tree is equivalent To 2 central air conditioners
- Forests cover 31 per cent of the global land area
- Tropical rainforests cover less than 3 per cent of earth's area, yet they are home to more than 1/2 of our planet's terrestrial animal species
- It takes 460 trees To absorb the annual CO2 emissions of a single car
- It requires 7 To 8 mature trees to provide the oxygen for one person each year
- Adding a single tree to an open pasture can increase bird biodiversity from almost zero species to as high as 80
- The total forest area globally is 4.06 billion hectares, or approximately 5,000m2 (Or 50 x 100m) per person
- Agricultural expansion continues to be the main driver of deforestation and forest degradation and the associated loss of forest biodiversity
- Between 2015 and 2020, the rate of deforestation was estimated at 10 million hectares per year
- There are over 60,000 tree species across the globe
- Nearly half of all tree species (45%) are members of just 10 families
- Nearly 58 per cent of all tree species are single-country endemics
- The colonization of land By plants between 425 and 600 million years ago — and the eventual spread of forests — helped create a breathable atmosphere.
- 1.6 billion people depend on forest resources for their livelihoods and most of them (1.2 billion) use trees on farms to generate food and cash
- An estimated 880 million people spend part of their time collecting fuelwood or producing charcoal
- Areas managed by indigenous peoples (approximately 28 per cent of the world’s land surface) include some of the most ecologically intact forests and many hotspots of biodiversity
- Globally 18 per cent of the world's forest area, or more than 700 million hectares, fall within legally established protected areas such as national parks, conservation areas and game reserves
- The largest share of forest in protected areas is found in South America (31 per cent) and the lowest in Europe (5 per cent)
- Tropical tree cover loss is now causing more emissions every year than 85 million cars would over their entire lifetime
- The Amazon contributes 20 per cent of the oxygen produced on land via photosynthesis. In contrast, phytoplankton produce a staggering 70 per cent of earth’s oxygen
- Forests currently absorb 30 per cent of all CO2 emissions
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES TO BOOST FOREST COVER:
- Green India Mission (GIM): Started in the Financial Year 2015-16, GIM focuses on afforestation activities
- Over the last five years, Rs. 755.28 crores has been released to 17 states and one union territory to support afforestation efforts
- National Afforestation Programme: Implemented for regeneration of degraded forests and adjoining areas
- The National Afforestation Programme is now merged with Green India Mission
- Nagar Van Yojana (NVY): Launched in 2020, NVY aims to create 600 Nagar Vans and 400 Nagar Vatika in urban and peri-urban areas by 2024-25
- The initiative intends to enhance the green cover, preserve biological diversity, and improve the quality of life for urban dwellers
- Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA): Utilized by states/UTs for compensatory afforestation to offset forest land diversion for developmental projects
- 90 per cent of the CAF money is to be given to the states while 10 per cent is to be retained by the Centre
- Multi-Departmental Efforts: Apart from the central initiatives, afforestation activities are taken up under various programs and schemes of line ministries, state governments/UT administrations, non-government organisations, civil society, and corporate bodies
- Some notable efforts include participation in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, National Bamboo Mission, and Sub-Mission on Agroforestry.
- Draft National Forest Policy: The policy focuses on integrating climate change mitigation and adaptation measures into forest management practices. It emphasises building resilience to climate change, particularly among forest-dependent communities.
REASONS TO CELEBRATE WORLD FOREST DAY:
- When you think about jobs that depend on forests, it probably seems pretty obvious: logging, carpentry and woodworking
- Protecting Against Extreme Weather
- All the Food You Can Eat
- Home Sweet Home
- Natural Air Conditioning
- Improving Mental Health
- Combating Climate Change
- Spiritual Abundance
- Forest helps fight climate change
- Forests are the natural medicinal hub
- Forest nurtures the soil
- Forests boost our immune system
