International Day of Forests 2022; March 21st.

 FORUM: Forests and sustainable production and consumption. International Day of Forests 2022

Forests are essential for the achievement of the #GlobalGoals. In celebration of the upcoming International Forests Day on 21 March, learn more about how your actions can help save our forests. Follow the conversation with the hashtags #IntForestDay

Statement by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres’on  the International Day of Forests 2022 March 21st.

Healthy forests are essential for people and the planet. They act as natural filters, providing clean air and water, and they are havens of biological diversity. They help to regulate our climate by influencing rainfall patterns, cooling urban areas and absorbing one third of greenhouse gas emissions. They provide many communities and indigenous peoples with livelihoods, medicines, sustenance and refuge.

The commitments to halt deforestation have been loud and clear, and in some regions, deforestation is slowing. Yet each year we still degrade and destroy some 10 million hectares of forest. It is essential that the world implements the recent Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use and other instruments designed to protect our forests.

It is time we see tangible and credible action on the ground. This means ending the unsustainable consumption and production patterns that jeopardize our forests. And it means providing support for the sustainable management of forests to the countries and peoples who need it.

On this International Day of Forests, let us recommit to healthy forests for healthier livelihoods.

U,N Secretary-General.

EVENTS

Inspire for the Future – The Role of Forests in Ensuring Sustainable production and Consumption.
WHEN: March 21, 2022; 15.00–18.00 GST/12.00–15.00 CET; #IDF2022;

Meet high level guests and experts – discussing how forest-based innovations, resource efficiency, forest-based products and ecosystem services can contribute to a sustainable lifestyle and accelerate a shift towards more sustainable consumption and production. These efforts help to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, wellbeing and a transition towards low-carbon and green economies. Visit the International Day of Forests event web to learn more.

The theme of the 2022 International Day of Forests celebration is “Forests and Sustainable Production and Consumption”. The celebration aims to raise awareness of how sustainable production and consumption of forest resources helps to restore balance in how we use natural resources. It is about increasing efficiency, reducing environmental degradation, and creating sustainable lifestyles for current and future generations.

2022 Event Programme

Watch the event live on https://webtv.un.org/

Spread the word through social media | 2022 IDF social media package

The International Day of Forests 2022 event will feature:

• Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, UNDESA
• H.E. Aida Kasymalieva, Permanent Representative of Kyrgyzstan to the United Nations
• H.E. Collen Vixen Kelapile, President of the UN Economic and Social Council
• H.E. Miriam Mac Intosh, Chair, United Nations Forum on Forests Bureau, 17th session
• H.E. Pierre Henri Guignard, Special Envoy, Alliance for the Conservation of Rainforests
• Maria Helena Semedo, Chair, Collaborative Partnership on Forests and Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)


• Brian Brashaw, Assistant Director, Wood Innovations program, USDA Forest Service
• Paola Deda, Director, Forest, Land and Housing Division, UNECE
• Alexandra Rivera Ramos, Certification Specialist, Wood Procurement, Lenzing
• Lucy Mulenkei, Executive Director, Indigenous Information Network (IIN)
• Erica Di Girolami, International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA)
• Madison Hand, Lower Phalen Creek Project

Global celebration

Every year, the Forum secretariat holds a special event to celebrate the International Day of Forests at United Nations Headquarters in New York which attracts participation from representatives of Member States, regional organizations, members of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and non-governmental organizations.

Spread the Word

– About the IDF 2022 virtual event!

– Share IDF photos to forests@un.org

International Day of Forests 2021, March 21

"Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well-being."


Too precious to lose. International Day of Forests 2021.

When we drink a glass of water, write in a notebook, take medicine for a fever or build a house, we do not always make the connection with forests. And yet, these and many other aspects of our lives are linked to forests in one way or another.

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. Forests also play a crucial role in poverty alleviation and in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet despite all of these priceless ecological, economic, social and health benefits, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate.
Forest restoration

FORUM: International Day of Forests 2021

The theme of the International Day of Forests for 2021 is "Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well-being." The restoration and sustainable management of forests help address the climate-change and biodiversity crises. It also produces goods and services for sustainable development, fostering an economic activity that creates jobs and improves lives. This year’s theme fits into the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), a call for the protection and revival of ecosystems around the world.

CAMPAIGN: Preventing, halting and reversing the degradation of ecosystems worldwide.

Statement by the United Nations Secretary-General on the International 2021, 21 March.

Humanity’s well-being is inextricably linked to the health of our planet. Forests play a crucial role.

Forests filter the air we breathe and the water we drink. They regulate our climate, absorbing one-third of the global greenhouse gases emitted each year.

Forests provide habitat to 80 per cent of all known terrestrial species, many of which are under threat. Today, more than 1 million of the planet’s estimated 8 million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction.

Some 1.6 billion people depend directly on forests for food, shelter, energy, medicines and income.

Despite all that they provide, forest loss continues at an alarming rate. We continue to lose 10 million hectares of forests, an area roughly the size of Iceland, every year.

Deforestation also increases the risks of infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics.

This year marks the beginning of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, which calls for action to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of forests and other ecosystems.

If we fail to act now, we risk a point of no return. But it is not too late to undo some of the damage we have caused.

The crises our planet faces require urgent action by all — governments, international and civil society organizations, the private sector, local authorities and individuals.

Indigenous peoples are leading the way. They care for the Earth’s biodiversity and achieve conservation results with very few financial resources and little support.

On this International Day of Forests let us plant the seeds for a sustainable future by committing to restore and conserve our forests for the benefit of people and the planet.

International Day of Forests 2015, 21 March.

Международный день лесов, 21 марта.

国际森林日, 3月21日.

International Day of Forests, 21 March.

Día Internacional de los Bosques, 21 de marzo.

Journée internationale des forêts, 21 mars.

 اليوم الدولي للغابات - 21 مارس اذار

 Тема Дня 2015 году «Леса и изменение климата»

 2015国际森林日庆祝活动包括：联合国总部的一场特别活动.

 The theme 2015 “Forests and Climate Change”

 El tema de 2015 «Los bosques y el cambio climático»

 Theme 2015 : « Les Forêts et les changements climatiques »

 موضوع عام 2015: الغابات وتغير المناخ

United Nations Secretary-General's Message for the International Day of Forests 2015.

The International Day of Forests is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of all types of forests and trees outside forests.  Some 1.6 billion people -- including more than 2,000 indigenous cultures -- depend on forests for food, fuel, shelter and income.  Three quarters of freshwater comes from forested catchments.  Forests prevent landslides and erosion and – in the case of mangrove forests -- reduce loss of life and damage caused by tsunamis.
For these reasons, and more, forests are integral to the post-2015 development agenda.  Among their most important functions is their role in building climate-resilient societies.  That is why, in this year of action for sustainable development, climate change is the theme for the International Day of Forests.
Sustaining healthy forests and mitigating and adapting to climate change are two sides of the same coin.  Forests are the largest storehouses of carbon after oceans.  The carbon they store in their biomass, soils and products is equivalent to about 10 per cent of carbon emissions projected for the first half of this century.  At the same time, deforestation and land-use changes account for 17 per cent of human-generated carbon dioxide emissions.
Forests are on the front lines of climate change.  These ecosystems, rich with biodiversity, are increasingly vulnerable to changes in weather, temperature and rainfall patterns.  It is essential, therefore, that we work to preserve and sustainably manage our forests.
Despite the ecological, economic and social value of forests, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate – some 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed annually.  This is not sustainable for people or the planet.  However, there are some encouraging signs.  In the past decade, the rate of global deforestation has decreased by almost 20 per cent, which indicates that solutions exist to reverse this destructive trend.
To build a sustainable, climate-resilient future for all, we must invest in our world's forests.  That will take political commitment at the highest levels, smart policies, effective law enforcement, innovative partnerships and funding.  On this International Day of Forests, let us commit to reducing deforestation, sustaining healthy forests and creating a climate-resilient future for all.

Ban Ki-moon

United Nations Forum on Forests

Forum : International Day of Forests - March 21

How much do you know about the awesomeness of forests?

 

Events : 

Activities expected to take place on the 2015 International Day include a special event at United Nations Headquarters, tree-planting and other community-level events, and national celebrations including art, photo and film as well as social media.

A special event for the International Day of Forests, entitled “International Day of Forests: Create a Climate Smart Future” will be held on 20 March 2015 at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Chamber.
The event will be webcast live.
You can get involved by creating your own International Forest Day exhibit on the lead up to the Day by using the design material available and by using the hashtag #IntlForestDay on social media.

More information on the Day is available at the UN Forum on Forests.

FAO's International Day of forests 2015

International Day of Forests events around the world

National Tree Planting Day, Iran

6 March 2015 - Iran (Islamic Republic of), Forest Park of Sohanak, Tehran

 

Día Internacional de los Bosques 2015, México

Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Del. Baja California, el departamento de Promotoría Forestal y Programa de Cultura Forestal de la Comisión Nacional Forestal, Baja California

17 March 2015 - Mexico, Baja California

International Day of Forests, Chile

Grupo de Acción Forestal de la Universidad de Talca

17 March 2015 - Chile, University of Talca

International Day of Forests, Algeria

Association of Life, Environment and Tourism

19 March 2015 - 21 March 2015

Celebration of the International Day of Forests, Addis Ababa

African Union

20 March 2015 - Ethiopia, African Union Commission headquarters

Create a Climate Smart Future special event, New York

UNFF [forests@un.org]

20 March 2015 - United States of America, UN headquarters, New York

Forests | Climate | Change special event, Rome

FAO [idf@fao.org]

20 March 2015 - Italy, FAO headquarters, Rome

Miscellaneous documents: Programme

International Day of Forests 2015, Geneva

UNECE/FAO Forestry and Timber Section

20 March 2015

Switzerland, Palais des Nations, Geneva

International Day of Forests student debate, Bangkok

FAO, RECOFTC [Wirya.Khim@fao.org]

20 March 2015 - Thailand, Bangkok

Miscellaneous documents: Brochure

International Day of Forests symposium, Seoul

Korea Forest Service and Korean Forest Society [sjp1011@korea.kr]

20 March 2015 - Republic of Korea, Seoul, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry

De la Ordenación de Montes al Parque Nacional de la Sierra de Guadarrama: Más de Cien Años de Gestión Forestal Sostenible, Spain

21 March 2015 11:00 - Spain, Centro Nacional de Educación Ambiental, Segovia

Hug a tree, Republic of Korea

 Korea Forest Service [sjp1011@korea.kr]

21 March 2015 - Republic of Korea, Korea National Arboretum, Pocheon

La Journée internationale des forêts, France

Office français de la Fondation pour l'Education à l'Environnement en Europe

21 March 2015 - France

Giornata Internazionale delle Foreste, Italy

La Riserva Naturale Regionale Orientata Bosco delle Pianelle [info@riservaboscopianelle.it]

21 March 2015 - 22 March 2015

Italy, Martina Franca

Miscellaneous documents:Calendario

Kids-to-Forests field excursion, Thailand

FAO [Wirya.Khim@fao.org]

21 March 2015 - 22 March 2015

Thailand, Kanchanaburi

International Day of Forests photo contest, Italy

Regional Agency for Services to Agriculture and Forests of Lombardy, Italy

21 March 2015 - 21 May 2015 - Italy

International Day of Forests, Malaysia

Forest Research Institute Malaysia [frim_ccu@frim.gov.my]

28 March 2015 - Malaysia, Kepong Botanic Gardens, Kepong

Miscellaneous documents: Poster

International Children's Climate Change Conference, Uganda

Little Hands Go Green

22 April 2015 - Uganda, Kampala

Documents : 

• The UN proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests -  UN Resolution .
•  UNDESA - International Year of Forests
•  UNEP's work on forests
•  UNESCO - Protecting biodiversity, protecting forests
•  Collaborative Partnerships of Forests :  Forest Publications
•  UN Sustainable Development - Documents by Topic: Forests
•  FAO-Take the forest quiz!

International Day of Forests 2014, March 21

How forests can be managed  profitably and Sustainably in the Future ?
Join the Forum  : International Day of Forests - March 21.

 

United Nations Secretary-General's Message  on the International Day of forest 2014.

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

United Nations General Assembly President's Message on the International Day of forest 2014.

Celebrated now for two years, the International Day of Forests and the Tree calls on governments and other multi stakeholders to commit to reducing deforestation while promoting sustainable livelihoods for all forest-dependent communities.
Forests cover one third of the Earth's land mass and over 1.6 billion people depend on forest ecosystems for their daily livelihoods.

As we work to create a post 2015 sustainable development agenda, I urge Member States to recognize the ecological, economic, social and health benefits of our forests.
In recent years, global deforestation has spread at an alarming rate. Over 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed each year and deforestation accounts for 12 to 20 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming.

This day marks a worldwide commemoration to celebrate our forests and to raise awareness of the importance of protecting our essential global ecosystems.

                                                                                                                                          John W. Ashe

  

                                          The new ways of monitoring and managing our forests - FAO Headquarters, Sheikh Zayed Centre
9:00 - 11:00am

Join us and celebrate the International Day of Forests 2014

° Showing of the International Day of Forests Video
° Opening address by José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director-General
° Results of FAO’s global remote sensing of forests, Kenneth  MacDicken, FAO Senior Forest Officer
° Highlights of FAO’s forest monitoring work, Eduardo Mansur, FAO Forestry Division Director
° Brief statements by key resource partners
° Closing remarks by Eduardo Rojas, Assistant Director-General, Forestry Department, FAO
° Refreshments

                                                               FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

                                                                                    José Graziano Da Silva, FAO Director-General

Journée internationale des forêts 2014 , Día Internacional de los Bosques 2014, Международный день лесов 2014, 国际森林日 2014,

21 March as World Forestry Day.

  Read it in Español or Français :

- World Forestry Day -

In November 1971, at the request of the European Confederation of Agriculture, FAO'S member governments supported the annual observance of 21 March as World Forestry Day. Since then many nations have adopted this practice. In schools and public buildings in Nigeria, World Forestry Day posters appeared calling attention to "Our Forest Heritage." In the United States, a presidential proclamation marked World Forestry Day as part of a week of activities and ceremonies about the role of the forest and forestry in every man's life. In Australia, a national committee representing states, territories, universities and timber producers launched a campaign which included distribution of free booklets (Forests are forever; Forestry, the environmentally compatible industry) and a 15-minute television film. In multilingual Switzerland, the press, radio and television, encouraged and assisted by the information services of the state forest service, described in French, German and Italian the important role played by forests and forestry in the economy, in the protection and conservation of the environment, and in the mountain heritage and culture of the Swiss people.

 Case Study : Forests in Finland , Forests in Vietnam

 

The need to explain
 
Forestry, more than other branches of agriculture, is an activity which needs to be brought before the public, as is well noted in the article entitled "Explaining forestry to forest users". But to make the practices and benefits of forestry comprehensible to the public is not as simple as it may at first seem. This is partly because of the long time scale involved in forest management compared to the increasingly rapid pace which modern man has come to accept as normal in so many other activities. In some countries there is also a residue of public suspicion of foresters as the "policemen of the woods" and this has to be overcome.
Every forester appreciates and understands the value of the forest as a source of raw material, as a provider of local employment and national income, as the great sponge which gathers and releases water, as the habitat for flora and fauna that otherwise would become extinct, and as the environment and atmosphere in which man feels uniquely at home with nature. If foresters and forest services talk in plain language about that which they know best, people will listen, understand and be with them.
Sir Frank Fraser Darling rightly says: "Man is weaned of the forest, and yet the forest is still very much a part of us." This is at the root of the concern of so many people today for the preservation of forests and other natural environments.
We would like to know about the various kinds of World Forestry Day activities in different countries so as to better communicate ideas among them. Those in charge of such activities should send samples of their efforts - posters, booklets, press cuttings, photographs and films - to unasylva.
 
FAO congratulates and supports the European Confederation of Agriculture in its efforts to promote World Forestry Day.

Agri-silviculture: More work needed

Shifting cultivation, the oldest system of farming still widely practiced, is destroying forests, degrading land and causing erosion in many parts of the world on a vast scale. There are an estimated 3.6 thousand million hectares currently under shifting cultivation throughout the world and it is believed that some 250 million persons live by it.
The situation is particularly serious in countries where there is population pressure on the land, such as in the tropics of Asia. This is a problem of historic importance in which food production and forest management are the interlocked elements and, it is widely felt, the foresters have the key.
As is shown in the article by Krit Samapuddhi of Thailand (page 20) and the report from the Philippines by Rifat Alwi (page 22), agri-silvicultural methods - taungya and its variations-are providing viable working alternatives to uncontrolled slash-and-burn agriculture. In various ways agri-silviculture seeks to create harmony between crop farming and tree farming. Both reports point out that agri-silviculture is not easy and does not always work. Patient, flexible, intelligent administrators with an understanding and sympathy for the farmers of the forest, their traditions and their human needs, are among the most important elements for the success of any system of agri-silviculture.


Preventing forest destruction
 
At a time where there is an awareness throughout the world of the serious imbalance between food production and distribution and population increases, there should be much more research and practical work on agri-silviculture for tropical countries. As foresters we should also spread an awareness of the imbalance between the vast areas of the tropics which are being devastated by unchecked slash-and-burn cultivation and the relatively small areas where agri-silviculture is being practiced, and in good part successfully practiced. The latter can and should be greatly increased. Forest services in tropical countries and university faculties specializing in tropical forestry should concentrate more resources and efforts in these directions.

Are you looking for FAO documents on forestry? 

You can locate them with the new two-volume

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY (Vol. 1)
 

and AUTHOR AND SUBJECT INDEX (Vol. 2)
 

Publications and documents for the period 1967-73 covering forestry, forest industries, forestry education, administration, environment, wildlife and related forestry subjects.
A total of 917 pages with 33350 index references
Price: US$10.00 £4.00 FF50.00
From these basic reference books you can order the actual publications and documents.
If out of print, FAO publications and documents are availabe on MICROFICHE
Size: 105 x 150 mm (Cosati Format A-6) up to 60 document pages on a card Price per microfiche: US$1.00 £0.40 FF5.00
Orders to be sent to FAO - Distribution and Sales Section, Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy