{"id":50702,"date":"2022-03-17T15:00:38","date_gmt":"2022-03-17T14:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unric.org\/en\/?p=50702"},"modified":"2022-03-22T11:25:24","modified_gmt":"2022-03-22T10:25:24","slug":"international-forest-day-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unric.org\/en\/international-forest-day-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"International Forest Day 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"
On March 21, 2022, we celebrate International Forest Day for the 10th<\/sup> year in a row to raise awareness of the importance of forests. Our lives are just as dependent on the land as on the sea regarding both food and livelihood. Moreover, forests are the most biologically diverse ecosystems on land and accommodates more than 80% of the terrestrial specifies of animals, plants and insects. Forests cover 30% of the earth\u2019s surface and are vital habitats for millions of species, they are sources of clean air and water, and of course crucial for fighting climate change. A study from the UN<\/a> shows that forests actually can lift one billion people out of poverty and create additional 80 million green jobs.<\/p>\n International Forest Day is a tremendous occasion to celebrate the world\u2019s wildlife and humanities\u2019 achievements in preservation of it, to educate the public on forests and ecosystems. But it is also a suitable opportunity and the right time to address global problems and to mobilize political will to take action. Last month, the UN agency on climate change, IPCC, published a report revealing the deadly consequences of climate change for people in all parts of the world in the coming decades. The consequences of climate change are worse than ever, highlighting the importance of global unity.<\/p>\n In 2015, all United Nations Member States adopted a development policy on sustainability which centers around the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The 17 goals provide a global blueprint for peace and prosperity of people and the planet and are set to be achieved by 2030. Goal 15, labelled Life on Land, concerns sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainable management of forest, fighting desertification and reversing land degradation. Goal 15 seeks to restore and conserve terrestrial ecosystems e.g. wetlands, forests and mountains by 2030.<\/p>\n But how severe is the situation with the forests?<\/p>\n Loss of agricultural land is occurring 30 to 35 times faster than the historical rate. The same goes for drought and desertification. 10 million hectares are lost every year, affecting poor communities around the world. Also, the world\u2019s forests act as shields from zoonotic diseases, which means that their destruction will have fatal consequences for the global public health. In fact, 1 out of 3 outbreaks of new and emerging diseases, e.g. HIV and SARS, are linked to deforestation and other land use changes. Another benefit of woods is the fact that they help provide bacteria-free food and water and they create fibers for<\/p>\nSustainable development goal 15: sustainable management of forests<\/h1>\n
Investments in forests equals investments in people<\/h1>\n