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International Day of Forests
March 21 @ 12:00 PM
International Day of Forests (IDF) is celebrated yearly on 21st of March in order to raise awareness of the importance of fall types of forests.
The United Nations Forum on Forests and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) are the official organisers of IDF. You visit their pages to discover their latests resources on sustainable forest management and restoration.
Forests restoration and the path to recovery and well-being
The theme for International Day of Forests 2021 is “Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well-being,” which in turn fits into the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030); a call for the protection and revival of ecosystems around the world.
Forests are home to about 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, with more that 60,000 tree species. Yet despite the priceless ecological, economic, social and health benefits of forests, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate.
Around 1.6 billion people depend directly on forests for food, shelter, energy, medicines and income.
The world is losing 10 million hectares of forest each year – about the size of Iceland – which accounts for 12 to 20 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
Land degradation affects almost 2 billion hectares – an area larger than South America.
The restoration and sustainable management of forests is important to help address the climate change and biodiversity loss crises. It also produces goods and services for sustainable development, fostering an economic activity that creates jobs and improves lives.
What can you do to help raise awareness of forests
Every year, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organise activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns.
There are many ways in which you, as an individual, can mark the day. You can watch and share the International Day of Forests video 2021 (see below), you could organise or join events celebrating forests: tree-planting, art exhibitions, photo competitions etc. and or join the conversation on social media using the #IntlForestDay hashtag.
Happy International Day of Forests!