International Day of Forests 2023: Significance, theme, history

• Image Credit: Google

• Mar 21, 2023 | Dhupali Das

The International Day of Forests is celebrated on March 21 every year to highlight the importance and significance of forests and to promote awareness about forest restoration... 

Digital Desk: The International Day of Forests is celebrated on March 21 every year to highlight the importance and significance of forests and to promote awareness about forest restoration. Forests, being the world's lungs, filter sediments, purify water, and clean the air we breathe.

The day serves as a reminder of the important role forests play in our daily lives, as they are home to all types of wildlife and provide food for communities all over the world.

History:

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared March 21 as the International Day of Forests in 2012 to commemorate and raise awareness of the significance of all types of forests.

According to the UN website, "Forest sustainable management and their use of resources are key to combating climate change, and to contributing to the prosperity and well-being of current and future generations."

Significance:

According to UN estimates, more than 1.6 billion people rely directly on forests for food, medicines, shelter, energy, money, and other needs. The day encourages citizens, governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other local, national, and international organizations to participate in activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns, and to safeguard forests from destruction.

Such campaigns are organized in cooperation with governments by the United Nations Forum on Forests and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The Collaborative Partnership on Forests also organizes some campaigns around the world.

Theme:

Each year, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests selects the topic. The theme of the 2023 International Day of Forests is "Forests and Health." This year's theme highlights the relationship between forests and health.

According to the UN website, forests contribute significantly to an individual's health, spanning from purifying water, cleaning the air, and capturing carbon to combating climate change, providing food and life-saving medicines, and improving well-being.

This year calls for giving, not just taking, because healthy forests will bring healthy people.