International Day of Forests

  "As we deliberate on the post-2015 development agenda, let us acknowledge the vital role of forests and pledge to work together to protect and sustainably manage these vital ecosystems."

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Message for the 2014 International Day of Forests

• Forests cover 31% of total land area
• The world's total forest area is just over 4 billion hectares, which corresponds to an average of 0.6 ha per capita.
• The five most forest-rich countries (the Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, the United States of America and China) account for more than half of the total forest area.
• Ten countries or areas have no forest at all and an additional 54 have forest on less than 10 percent of their total land area.

 

Deforestation and net forest area change

• The rate of deforestation shows signs of decreasing – but is still alarmingly high. Deforestation – mainly the conversion of tropical forests to agricultural land – shows signs of decreasing in several countries but continues at a high rate in others.
• Around 13 million hectares of forest were converted to other uses or lost through natural causes each year in the last decade compared to 16 million hectares per year in the 1990s.
• Both Brazil and Indonesia, which had the highest net loss of forest in the 1990s, have significantly reduced their rate of loss, while in Australia, severe drought and forest fires have exacerbated the loss of forest since 2000.
• Large-scale planting of trees is significantly reducing the net loss of forest area globally
• Afforestation and natural expansion of forests in some countries and regions have reduced the net loss of forest area significantly at the global level.
• The net change in forest area in the period 2000–2010 is estimated at –5.2 million hectares per year (an area about the size of Costa Rica), down from –8.3 million hectares per year in the period 1990–2000. 
   The five most forest-rich countries are the Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, the USA and China, and they account for more than half of the total forest area.
  Ten countries or areas have no forest at all and an additional 54 have forest on less than 10% of their total land area.

Secretary-General's Message

Forests are the lungs of our planet. They cover one-third of all land area, and are home to 80 per cent of terrestrial biodiversity. They are crucial for addressing a multitude of sustainable development imperatives, from poverty eradication to food security, from mitigating and adapting to climate change to reducing disaster risk.  
It is estimated that 1.6 billion people depend on forests for food, fuel, shelter and income.  The World Health Organization estimates that between 65 and 80 per cent of people rely on medicines derived from forests as their primary form of health care.
Not only do forests provide essential economic safety nets for a significant number of the world’s poor, they underpin economies at all levels. Round wood production, wood processing and the pulp and paper industries account for nearly 1 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product. Non-monetary benefits from forests, such as water, energy, shelter and medicine, are estimated to be two to three times as great. Forested catchments supply three-quarters of freshwater, which is essential for agriculture, industry, energy supply and domestic use. 
The International Day of Forests is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of all types of forests and trees to our economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being. However awareness must be coupled with concrete action. As we deliberate on the post-2015 development agenda, let us acknowledge the vital role of forests and pledge to work together to protect and sustainably manage these vital ecosystems. 

Ban Ki-moon

 Facts and figures

Do you know...

• Which countries have the highest forest cover?
• Which countries are the major consumers and producers of forest products?
• How many people depend on drugs derived from forest plants?
• How much deforestation contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions?
• How many countries have less than 10 percent forest cover?
• The annual deforestation rate in the world?
• How many people are employed in the formal forestry sector worldwide?
• The total number of mountain people worldwide?

Background

The International Day of Forests is held annually on 21 March to raise awareness of the importance of forests to people. Forests shelter, nurture and inspire. 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods, medicine, fuel and food. Forests cover 31% of global land area.
The International Day provides a platform to communicate the vital role forests play in poverty eradication, environmental sustainability and food security.
Sustainable management of all types of forests are at the heart of unlocking challenges of conflict-affected, developing and developed countries, for the benefit of current and future generations.

International Day of Forests Resolution

The United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/67/200 on 21 December 2012, which declared that 21 March of each year is to be observed as the International Day of Forests.
The resolution encourages all Member States to organize activities relating to all types of forests. Activities expected to take place on the International Day include tree-planting and other community-level events, and national celebrations including art, photo and film as well as social media outreach.
The resolution requests the secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, to facilitate the implementation of the International Day of Forests, in collaboration with Governments, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and international, regional and subregional organizations and processes as well as relevant major groups.

An area with high density of trees is generally referred as forest.The forest on the whole accommodates about 30% of total land area. However there is a considerable reduction which was initially covering a total of about 50% of the total land area. These forests essentially function as habitats for organisms, hydrologic flow modulators, and soil conservers, constituting one of the most important aspects of the Earth's biosphere. The forests help to control our planet's temperature, provide us with oxygen and absorb pollution. It is not only home for all living species but also the forest is one of the best and continuous sources of rich nutrients. Studying in deep will make us realize that the place we are living today was initially a forest area. Thus World Forestry Day has been celebrated around the world on March 21st every year to alarm the people in the society about the importance and significance of forests and the scores of benefits which are gained from them. The origin of the concept of celebrating this World Forest Day came up at the 23rd General Assembly of the European Confederation of Agriculture in 1971.The celebration also involves bringing awareness in people about the anatomy of forestry like protection,production,recreation and the major contribution to the living organisms. March 21st was chosen to be observed as World Forest Day for it is both the autumnal equinox in the Southern Hemisphere and the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the duty of each and every individual to participate in deforestation and creation of new forests.

Importance of Forests

The significance of forests and its importance dates back even much before the prehistoric days. The forests promote or enhance well-being of environment, people, and animals. Today the development in the industrial domain is at the cost of clearing away forest and thereby reducing the vegetation. Forest is a major source of furniture, houses, ships and railway sleepers, plywood, fuel wood or charcoal, paper, processed wood products like cellophane, plastics, synthetic fibers like rayon and nylon, rubber from the latex of rubber tree. Apart from the benefits of the forest to the mankind is in numerous way like in preventing floods where the roots of the trees hold the soil together and thus help to conserve soil by preventing rapid runoff of water after heavy rain. Sustainable Management of Forest has been recognized in the Earth summit at Rio and it has been stressed the need for enhancing the tree cover to 33% by 2012 to combat the global warming.

The World Forest Day brings together participants from a diverse range of forest stakeholders, academics and decision makers from around the world, to discuss key issues that discuss about forests and issues related to it. There are themes decided for the day every year and the participants take part in its related activities and events. The celebration also includes awards for those who have achieved in the domain of forestry. There are so many organizations and societies which work on the World Forest Day conducting various events and activities. One can also hold a presentation at the workplace, schools, colleges or community centre on the importance of forest. Sometimes there are invites for people who are working on the preservation of forest to talk about the contribution of the community towards the welfare of the forest. Thus such events and activities always promise to encourage a sense of inspiration in the public. Globally many social meets and cultural events are organized to emphasis on the World Forestry. Also on this day the school children and sometimes even the political leaders celebrate the day by planting saplings symbolizing preservation and creation of forest. There are Forest awareness rally held in different parts of the world. 

Forests and climate change adaptation

 

Forests facilitate adaptation: Managing standing forests better, and expanding tree cover through socially- and environmentally-responsible reforestation and restoration, helps deliver a range of livelihood and environmental benefits that assist both people and ecosystems adapt to climate change.¹ The benefits include, but are not limited to, the points listed below.
Safety nets: Forests are important safety nets for communities, helping them cope with climate shocks. Many forest products are more resilient to climate variability and extremes than crops, and so are crucial to the resilience of local livelihoods. If crops fail due to drought² or assets are lost because of floods,³ communities can sell forest and tree products – timber, fuelwood and non-timber forest products (NTFPs) – for income. They can also consume products – such as mushrooms, sago, fruits and bushmeat – as food. In addition, fodder from trees can help ensure the survival of livestock for months at a time if drought strikes.⁴
Agriculture: Trees on farms protect the soil and regulate water and microclimate, and help protect crops and livestock from climate variability. Crops grown in agroforestry systems are more resilient to drought, excess precipitation, and temperature fluctuations and extremes.⁵ Research in Africa, for example, shows that leguminous trees can make agriculture more drought resilient by improving water infiltration and increasing productivity through nitrogen fixation.⁶
Watersheds: Forests contribute to regulating river flows – base flows during dry seasons and peak flows during rainfall events – minimising risks related to water scarcity and floods.⁷ In Flores, Indonesia, for example, tropical forested watersheds have been shown to increase base flows and reduce the impacts of drought on downstream agrarian communities.⁸
Coasts: Coastal forests such as mangroves help reduce risks from disasters relating to climate extremes (storms or cyclones) and sea-level rise (coastal flooding). Research in India⁹ and Vietnam¹⁰ has shown that coastal settlements with mangroves in close proximity suffer less damage from such events than those without.
Cities: Urban forests and trees provide green infrastructure – shade, evaporative cooling, and rainwater interception, storage and infiltration – in cities. They can play a significant role in urban adaptation to climate variability and change¹¹ by reducing temperatures during heat waves.
Regional climate: Tropical forests influence precipitation and can have a cooling effect on a region through increased evaporation and cloud cover.¹² This can occur over large distances: for example, land use change in the humid tropics can influence precipitation in the middle and higher latitudes.¹³
National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs): The critical role of forests and trees is already recognised in projects on human adaptation, several of which are being proposed in NAPAs. Some examples include the conservation or rehabilitation of mangroves to protect vulnerable communities in coastal areas of Bangladesh and Cambodia, and for regulating water flows and providing fuel wood to local communities in Benin.¹⁴ Forest and tree services can also support and increase the effectiveness of technical or infrastructural adaptation measures, while providing co-benefits for livelihoods, biodiversity and climate change mitigation.

 

Forests and climate change mitigation

 

Carbon sinks: Forests play a critical role in regulating the Earth’s climate through the carbon cycle; removing carbon from the atmosphere as they grow, and storing carbon in leaves, woody tissue, roots and organic matter in soil. The world’s forests absorb 2.4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, or about one-third of the carbon dioxide released through the burning of fossil fuels.¹ Forests also represent the world’s most significant terrestrial carbon store, containing an estimated 77 percent of all carbon stored in vegetation and 39 percent of all carbon stored in soils; twice as much carbon as is present in the atmosphere.²
Greenhouse gas emissions: Deforestation and forest degradation accounts for between 10 and 15 percent of global human-induced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the burning of peatland associated with forest clearing accounts for an additional 3 percent of emissions. These emissions are greater than the entire global transportation sector. Eighty percent of these emissions stem from only 10 countries, mainly in the developing world.⁵ In some countries, such as Indonesia, deforestation and forest degradation are the principal source of emissions. The loss of global forest cover also means a loss of the forests’ natural capture and storage capacity, amplifying emissions from other sources.
Peatlands and mangroves: Peatland forests cover about 3 percent of the Earth’s land area but store as much as one-third of all soil carbon. Similarly, carbon density in mangrove forests is more than four times higher than in upland tropical forests.⁶ The loss of peatland and mangrove forests contributes disproportionately to carbon dioxide emissions, biodiversity loss and to the vulnerability of coastal communities, making the conservation of these ecosystems key in the fight against climate change.
REDD+: Since the 13th Conference of the Parties (COP13) to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bali in 2007, the UNFCCC has progressively recognised the package of measures now known as REDD+, which stands for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, as well as the conservation and sustainable management of forests, and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing country forests. At the COP16 in Cancun in 2010, REDD+ was officially incorporated into the UNFCCC’s agreement on climate change. At COP17 in Durban in 2011, negotiators agreed on monitoring guidelines as safeguards for REDD+ implementation and on the means for developing estimates of emissions that would have occurred in the absence of REDD+ (i.e., reference emission levels).
Reference levels (RLs) and reference emission levels (RELs) are most commonly used as a business as usual baseline to assess a country’s performance in implementing REDD+ (UNFCCC 2011). RLs are needed to establish a reference point or benchmark against which actual emissions (and removals) are compared. In fact, emissions reductions cannot be defined without having first agreed on the RL, which is therefore critical for gauging the effectiveness or forest carbon impact of REDD+ policies and activities. New research⁷ at CIFOR on a stepwise approach provides guidance on how countries with little data can begin to develop RL, and can improve their estimates as better data becomes available.
The + in REDD+: Managing standing forests better, and expanding tree cover through socially- and environmentally-responsible reforestation and restoration, are cost- and time-effective strategies to conserve and enhance carbon stocks and mitigate climate change⁸, as well as to facilitate adaptation. Integrating the + in REDD+ with carbon conservation in agricultural systems capitalises on the potential of whole-of-landscape responses to climate change⁹.
Doing REDD+ well: CIFOR’s Global Comparative Study of REDD+ is providing negotiators, policymakers and implementing agencies with the information they need to design REDD+ architecture and implementation strategies. A CIFOR study published in June 2012 called Analysing REDD+ says that REDD+ is moving ahead, but at a slower pace and in a different form than expected five years ago. The study takes stock of REDD+ and asks: How has REDD+ changed and why? How is REDD+ unfolding in national policy arenas? What does REDD+ look like on the ground? What are the main challenges in designing and implementing REDD+? And, what are the choices for making REDD+ more effective, efficient, and equitable?
Learning to measure GHG emissions: Recent research by CIFOR has revealed major capacity gaps in the ability of most tropical forest-rich nations to measure and monitor the amount of greenhouse gas emissions they save by safeguarding their forests. Eighty-nine out of ninety-nine tropical countries had ‘very large to medium’ gaps between what is required for REDD+ monitoring under national circumstances and their current capacities.¹⁰ The study is intended to help direct international efforts to increase capacity in developing countries to monitor, report and verify (MRV) changes in their greenhouse gas emissions.

Notes

Forests and water

 

Giant sponges: Forests act as giant sponges, soaking up rainfall during wet seasons and slowly releasing it during times of drought. Forests provide natural filtration and storage systems that supply an estimated 75 percent of usable water globally. Tree roots and leaf litter create conditions that promote the infiltration of rainwater into the soil and then into the groundwater, providing supplies during dry periods.¹
In dollars: There are a range of estimates for the value of water regulation and supply. One study puts the figure at USD 2.3 trillion² globally. Another study, focused at the national level in China, estimates that the value of the water storage function of that country's forests is estimated as 7.5 trillion yuan (approximately USD 1 trillion); three times the value of the wood in its forests.³ Another study calculated that the presence of forest on Mount Kenya saved the country's economy more than USD 20 million by protecting the catchment for two of Kenya's main river systems: the Tana and the Ewaso Ngiro.3 Today, at least one third of the world's biggest cities, such as New York, Singapore, Jakarta, Rio de Janeiro, Bogotá, Madrid and Cape Town, draw a significant portion of their drinking water from forested areas.⁴
Removing pollutants: Trees and forests improve stream quality and watershed health by decreasing the amount of storm water runoff and pollutants that reach local waters. They take up nutrients and pollutants from soils and water through their roots, and transform them into less harmful substances.⁵ Forests also maintain high water quality by minimising soil erosion and reducing sediment. Deforestation generally increases erosion, resulting in higher sediment concentrations in the runoff and siltation of watercourses.⁶
Flood protection: The capacity of forests to reduce the incidence and severity of downstream flooding associated with major rainfall events may be more limited than is commonly thought. Nevertheless, maintaining natural vegetation in catchments and riparian zones can reduce flash flooding and flood peaks through the sponge effect of standing forests, and diminish the damaging impacts of local floods by blocking the path of the water with tree trunks, branches and other forest litter.⁷
Global significance: Recent research⁸ highlights the global significance of forests in recycling rainfall and groundwater to support continental-scale and intercontinental-scale hydrological cycles. At these scales, forest loss and degradation appear to have deleterious effects on rainfall.⁹ These results suggest that forest–water relations at the continental and intercontinental scales are different from those at a catchment scale, where deforestation can increase water yield in the catchment.
Examples of continental-scale impacts: Deforestation and forest degradation in one area can impact rainfall patterns in other parts of the world. Moisture evaporating from the Eurasian continent is responsible for 80 percent of China's water resources. In South America, the Río de la Plata Basin depends on evaporation from the Amazon forest for 70 percent of its water resources. The Congo Basin is a major source of moisture for rainfall in the Sahel.1

Forests, food and livelihoods

 

Food security: Forests are natural supermarkets for 1 billion of the world's poorest people. They provide nuts, berries, roots, meat and cooking fuel, complementing agricultural crops and providing essential nutrients that would otherwise be unavailable.¹ In rural areas of the Congo Basin, five to six million tonnes of bush meat are harvested each year and account for up to 80 percent of the fats and proteins consumed by local communities.² In areas where fish are an important source of protein, forests—especially mangroves—support the healthy aquatic ecosystems necessary to maintain fish stocks.
Livelihoods: New global research by CIFOR has shown that environment-related income makes up about one-quarter of total household income for people living in or near forests, a value comparable to what these households derive from agricultural crops.³ This and other research⁴ demonstrates how the contributions of forests and agriculture to food and livelihood security are complementary.
Vital for agriculture: Forests provide goods and services that support the agricultural sector. Livestock production benefits from the fodder and shade provided by forests and trees. Forests provide homes for bees, bats, and other pollinators of agricultural crops. Coffee cultivated in the fields furthest away from forested areas has been shown to have lower yields due to reduced pollination services.⁵ Forests provide hydrological services to agriculture, moderating the quantity and quality of surface water available for irrigation, and controlling the sedimentation of irrigation infrastructure.⁶
Safeguarding biodiversity: Natural forests provide habitat for the wild relatives of many important tree crops, a source of genetic diversity that will become increasingly important for these species to adapt as climate change advances, and for humans to adapt to climate change as well. Our diet once included more than 7000 species of plants and animals, but today it contains fewer and fewer species.⁷ This limited biodiversity in our food sources makes us more vulnerable to the onset of new pests and diseases brought on by climate change.
Empowering women: In many cultures, non-hunting gathering and harvesting of food is the responsibility of women. Easy access to forest-derived foods decreases the time and effort women have to spend to ensure their families have adequate nutrition. There are many flow-on benefits for women and their households.⁸

 

Forests, fuel wood and charcoal

Cooking with forests: More than two billion people depend on wood energy for cooking and heating, particularly in households in developing countries. In parts of Africa, wood fuels—often the only domestically available and affordable sources of energy—account for almost 90 percent of primary energy consumption. Estimates suggest that biomass energy in sub-Saharan Africa will account for about three-quarters of total residential energy by 2030.
Fuel for industry. In some regions, such as parts of South America, industrial and commercial use of charcoal is a major driver of demand, as well as an important source of income along production chains. At the continental scale, South America is second only to Africa in total and per capita charcoal use.
Hungry for energy: Global energy demand is projected to increase rapidly in coming years, owing to many factors, including population growth, more people having access to energy supply grids, and lifestyles becoming more energy demanding. In the longer term, forest biomass has the potential to significantly lessen the strain on global energy supply when oil resources decline. Wood energy is the most important source of bioenergy in the world, providing nine percent of the global primary energy supply.  Well-managed forests can play a vital role in responding to future bioenergy demands and can help to create a more stable energy future, improve environmental quality and increase economic opportunities.
Substituting wood energy for fossil fuels: Wood energy use in Europe accounts for 50 percent of energy from renewable sources, with private households being the largest users. Some European countries are expanding the use of solid biomass, in the form of pellets, briquettes and wood chips, to meet their fossil fuel substitution goals. The expansion of forest biomass-based energy to meet global demand, while enlarging the contribution of forests to global energy supply, can also lead to higher competition with more conventional markets for timber.
Although local use of wood fuel helps limit carbon emissions from transport, the global trade in wood pellets, briquettes and chips is expected to expand. Pellets and chips can be transported economically over long distances, opening up opportunities for trade in biomass between countries and creating significant opportunities for forestry to contribute. However, this may lead to more exports from timber-producing countries and can increase pressures on forests and local populations if governance, tenure security, and sustainable production schemes are not developed.
New opportunities for the efficient use of wood for multiple purposes may also arise from innovations in biotechnologies for the production of renewable and cost efficient bioproducts such as bioplastics, biofuels, biochemicals and others.