“A forest ecology is a delicate one. If the forest perishes, its fauna may go with it. The athshean word for world is also the word for forest.”
(Ursula K. Le Guin)
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE:
World Forestry Day or International Day of Forests is celebrated worldwide every year on 21st of March at the international level in order to bring the public awareness among masses about the values, importance and contributions of the forests to balance the life cycle on the earth.
The World Forestry Day was established in the year 1971 at the 23rd General Assembly of European Confederation of Agriculture. And it was decided to be celebrated as an annual event celebration on 21st of March by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. World Forestry Day was established in the Conference of States members of Food and Agriculture Organization by voting to establish it. This event was originated in well planned manner to give support in contributing towards the public awareness about the importance of the forests. International Day of Forests was first established in the year 2012 on 28th of November to be celebrated on 21st of March every year by the decision of the United Nations General Assembly by uniting the two international commemorations; the World Forestry Day and Forest Day. Forests plays great role in gathering and releasing the water on the earth and maintain the flora and fauna habitat balance. Forests are the natural beauty on the earth which is very necessary to be conserved to go everything in balance.
WHY WORLD FORESTRY DAY IS CELEBRATED:
Forests not only are nice to look at but they are also essential to life on Earth. Forests provide more than 50% of the shelter that terrestrial species of insects and animals. They also balance out the levels of oxygen and CO2 in the environment; protect the watersheds which supply fresh water to rivers; provide food for a variety of insects, mammals, birds and reptiles and can cool the air in urban areas by as much as 2 to 8 degrees Celsius.Trees are also important to human society as well, & not only because we depend upon the environment to survive, either. More than 1.7 billion people, including people from over 2,000 individual indigenous cultures depend on forests for their livelihood. The fire wood for trees also provides the world with more energy than solar, hydroelectric or wind power. Which makes it a vital resource for people in developing countries.
World forestry day celebration provides a big opportunity to all the people to learn more about their contributions in maintaining the well-being of people. During this event celebration people share their views and ideas by working together to incorporate the forests into future climate change strategies.
As per sources, it has been noted that there is an annual loss of around 13 million hectares or 32 million acres of the forests by the people. Loss of the forests enhances the habitat loss for many species, Deforestation imbalances the balance of natural climate which lead to the global warming by increasing the CO2 and decreasing the O2 percentage all across the world.Almost 30% of the total land worldwide is occupied by the forests containing over 60,000 tree species which are ultimately the great resources of the food, fuel, fodder, essential oils, resins, latex, gums, medicines, fiber, water, woods for the population of around 1.6 billion poorest people of the world, forests are also known as “lungs of the earth”
HOW WORLD FORESTRY DAY IS CELEBRATED:
Almost 1/3rd of all the forests are considered as the primary forests where no any human activities are seen and the ecological processes are balanced. Around 6 million hectares of the forests are getting lost due to deforestation on annual basis.
This day can be celebrated by planting trees, educating people about the importance of trees and forests. It’s also a good day to remember how important forests are to all of us as well as to our planet. During the event celebration the tree plantation campaign is encouraged among the common people through many activities. People especially school going childrens are the main target of this campaign . They get motivated towards the plantation in their schools, nearby areas as well as go for massive afforestration. There are also theme decided for the day every year which highlights the main thrust areas were attention must be paid as far as this day is concerned. The world forest day theme 2019 will be “Forests and Education”
It will seek to raise awareness among communities especially childrens on how sustainably managed forests secures present and future needs of a humans & what role ,means they can adopt in achieving the above Target i.e sustainable forestry.
PLANTATION DRIVE AT SCHOOL LEVEL
“Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.” John Muir…
Key Message
* Understanding our forests and keeping them healthy is crucial for our future. Forests will be more important than ever as the world population climbs to 8.5 billion by 2030.
* You’re never too young to start learning about trees. Helping children connect with nature creates future generations conscious of the benefits of trees and forests and the need to manage them sustainably.
* Both modern and traditional knowledge are key to keeping forests healthy. While foresters should know and understand nature well, they should also learn to use cutting-edge technology to ensure that our forests are monitored and managed sustainably.
* Investing in forestry education can change the world for the better. Countries can help ensure there are scientists, policy makers, foresters and local communities working to halt deforestation and restore degraded landscapes.
The author can be reached at shariqamaryam@gmail.com
