Information about World Forest Day

"World Forest Day", also translated as "World Forestry Day", is "World Forest Day" in English. The "photosynthesis" of green plants can beautify our environment and make our living environment better. Forests can resist wind and sand and protect humans. In recent years, due to the large consumption of wood and forest products in consumer countries, the global forest area has been significantly reduced. Nearly 10 million hectares of forests are disappearing every year. This is not only an internal problem of a certain country, it has become an international problem. In 1971, the Seventh World Forest Conference decided to designate March 21 every year as World Forest Day to attract the attention of various countries to the green protector of mankind - forest resources. By coordinating the relationship between humans and forests, we can realize the protection of forest resources. Sustainable Use

World Forest Day - Origin

This anniversary was initiated by Spain in 1971 at the Tenerife Congress of the European Agricultural Union and unanimously adopted of. In November of the same year, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) officially confirmed it. In order to attract the attention of various countries to forest resources, the green protector of mankind, and to achieve the sustainable use of forest resources by coordinating the relationship between humans and forests.

March 21, 1972 was the first "World Forest Day". Some countries designate this day as Arbor Day; some countries determine their own Arbor Day based on their country’s specific environment and needs; China’s Arbor Day is March 12. Today, in addition to tree planting, "World Forest Day" pays extensive attention to the deeper essential issues of forests and people's livelihood.

World Forest Day - Status of Global Forests

Global forests are mainly concentrated in South America, Russia, Central Africa and Southeast Asia. These four regions account for 60% of the world's forests, with Russia, Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo accounting for the most. The four countries own 40% of the world's forests.

The United Nations Environment Program reports that global forests have been reduced by half in history, mainly due to human activities. According to a 2001 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, global forests declined from 39.6 hectares in 1990 to 3.8 billion hectares in 2000. Nearly 10 million hectares of forest disappear around the world every year.

Although plantation forests increased by an average of 3.1 million hectares per year in the 10 years from 1990 to 2000, tropical and non-tropical natural forests decreased by an average of 12.5 million hectares per year.

World Forest Day South America has 21% of the world’s forests and 45% of the world’s tropical forests. Brazil alone accounts for 30% of the world's tropical forests, and the country loses 2.3 million hectares of forest every year. According to the FAO report, Brazil produced 103 million cubic meters of logs in 2000 alone.

According to the World Food and Agriculture Organization report, Russia had 850 million hectares of forest in 2000, accounting for 22% of the global total and 43% of the world's temperate forests. Russia's forest area remained stable in the 1990s. , almost unchanged, producing 105 million cubic meters of industrial logs in 2000.

Central Africa has 8 of the world's forests and 16 of the world's tropical forests. The total forest area reached 330 million hectares in 1990 and 311 million hectares in 2000, with an average annual decrease of 1.9 million hectares in the past 10 years.

Southeast Asia has the world's largest tropical forest area. In 1990, the forest area was 235 million hectares. In 2000, the forest area was 212 million hectares. The average annual area reduction in the past 10 years was 2.33 million hectares. Forest resources are disappearing in this region at a faster rate than in other parts of the world.

World Forest Day - Reasons for forest reduction

The reduction of forest area is affected by many factors, such as population increase, local environmental factors, government policies to develop agricultural land, etc. In addition, forests Fire losses cannot be underestimated either. However, the most important factor leading to the reduction of forest area is the development of forests to produce timber and forest products. Due to the large consumption of wood and forest products in consumer countries, the reduction of global forest area is not only an internal problem of a certain country, it has become an international problem. There is no doubt that developed countries are the largest consumers of wood.

Of course, the consumption of wood by some developing countries cannot be ignored.

Illegal deforestation is another very important factor leading to the sharp decline of forests. According to the 2002 report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a considerable proportion of the timber produced by the world's four largest timber producers (Russia, Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo) comes from illegal timber. Suggestions on measures to protect forest resources. The author believes that in order to reverse the increasing decline in forest resources To reduce the trend, the international community must take the following measures:

Conclude an international forest convention. As we all know, the huge role of forests in the earth's terrestrial ecosystem is self-evident. However, the international community's attention to forests, especially at a political level, is far from enough. Although the Declaration of Principles on Forests was signed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio, Brazil, in 1992, the Intergovernmental Working Group on Forests and the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests were established under the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in 1994 and 1997 respectively. The United Nations established the United Nations Forum on Forests in 2006, but the results have been very limited.

The conclusion of the Forest Convention on World Forest Day can not only awaken people of all countries to cherish precious forest resources, redouble their care for forests and trees; it can also strengthen the attention of countries on forestry work and increase investment in forestry. Promote developed countries to provide advanced forestry technologies to developing countries; at the same time, international legislation can also be used to regulate forestry activities, especially logging, to save dwindling forest resources.

Change production and consumption patterns. Although forests are renewable, they cannot withstand human plunder. Over the past 10 years, an important reason for the sharp decline in forest resources is the production and consumption patterns in developed countries that are contrary to sustainable development. It can be seen from the above figures that developed countries are the largest buyers in the international timber market, that is, the largest source of consumption. If calculated on a per capita basis, developed countries are several times higher than developing countries. Of course, it is also necessary for developing countries to gradually change their unsustainable production and consumption patterns. For example, the disposable chopstick consumption phenomenon that is popular in developed countries and exists in developing countries consumes countless amounts of wood every day.

Multi-pronged approach. A multi-pronged approach is essential to save forest resources. First, we must legislate and enforce the law, vigorously plant trees and protect forest resources: strictly control the amount of tree felling and put an end to illegal logging. Second, we must standardize international timber trading behavior and establish a timber licensing and labeling system at both the international and national levels, so as to achieve the goal that any timber traded in the international market comes from sustainably managed forests. Third, develop and research alternatives to wood products, which can also reduce forest consumption and achieve the purpose of effectively protecting forest resources.