The United Nations (UN)’s International Day of the Tropics is observed annually across the globe on 29th June to raise awareness about various challenges that tropical nations face and to celebrate the extraordinary diversity of the Tropics.
- The day aims to emphasize the role of the countries in the tropics towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals(SDG).
Background:
i.On June 14th, 2016 the United Nation General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/70/267 declaring June 29th as the International Day of the Tropics.
ii.The first ever International Day of the Tropics was observed on 29th June 2017.
Why June 29?
i.TheUN chose the date June 29th to mark the anniversary of the launch of the inaugural “State of Tropics Report”.
ii.The inaugral report was launched on 29th June 2014 by Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar (Burma).
Tropical Region:
i.The area surrounding the Equator between the Tropic of Cancer (23°27 N) and the tropic of Capricorn (23°27 S) is roughly considered the tropical zone or the torrid zone which includes the Equator and parts of North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
ii.There are fewer seasonal variations in the day-to-day temperature, which remains relatively constant throughout the year and they receive direct sunlight and are hotter and wetter.
iii.There are several types of climate within the tropical climate zone: tropical rainforest climate, tropical monsoon climate, and tropical wet and dry (savanna) climate.
iv.It accounts for 40% of the world’s total surface area and are host to about 80% of our planet’s biodiversity.
Challenges faced by tropical countries:
i.The population living in the tropics experiences more undernourishment and higher levels of poverty than the rest of the world.
ii.The proportion of the urban population living in slums is higher in the tropics than in the rest of the world.
iii.The tropical region comes across climate change, deforestation, logging, urbanization and demographic changes.
Note: Unlike other international days, there is no annual theme for each International Day of the Tropics.
About United Nations (UN):
Secretary-General – António Guterres
Headquarters – New York, United States of America
Established – 1945
