Since 2013, the International Day of Forests (IDF) has been observed annually on March 21 to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests. The IDF 2022 was observed on the theme ‘Forests and sustainable production and consumption’.
- It is being organized by the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with Governments, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and other relevant organizations in the field.
- This year’s caters to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 i.e. Responsible Consumption and Production.
Background:
The day was established on November 28, 2012 through a resolution A/RES/67/200 of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Key Points:
i.On this day, Countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns.
ii.The theme for each IDF is chosen by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests.
Celebrations:
FAO along with International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) and IUFRO World Congress 2024|Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) conducted a high-level panel discussion to celebrate IDF 2022. It was held online and at the Swedish Pavilion, The Forest, Expo 2020, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- FAO is a specialized agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
- IUFRO is a world-wide organization devoted to forest research and related sciences
- SLU is a governmental agency and international university. It is Sweden’s host organization of the IUFRO World Congress 2024 on 23-29 June in Stockholm, in collaboration with IUFRO and the Nordic and Baltic partner countries.
Key Statistics behind Forests:
i.It is estimated that more than half the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) depends on ecosystem services, including those provided by forests.
ii.More than half the total world population is estimated to use non-timber forest products to support their well-being and livelihoods.
iii.Forests cover nearly one-third of the Earth’s land surface and provide people with goods, and help combat climate change, protect biodiversity, soils, rivers and reservoirs.
iv.The world has lost 420 million hectares of forest, an area bigger than India, since 1990, and deforestation continues at about 10 million hectares per year, mainly due to agricultural expansion.
v.According to a UN estimate, more than 1.6 billion people are directly dependent on forests for food, medicines, shelter, energy, shelter, income etc.
About Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO):
Director-General– Qu Dongyu
Headquarters– Rome, Italy
