International Day of Forests 2021: Significance, theme of the day

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.”

The International Day of Forests is observed every year on March 21 to highlight the importance of forests and raise awareness about forest restoration. The day serves as reminder of the role that forests play in our daily lives and was introduced by the United Nations (UN) on March 21, 2012. 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.”

According to UN, forests have more than 60,000 tree species and are also home to about 80 per cent of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity.

International Day of Forests 2021 theme

The theme of the International Day of Forests for 2021 is "Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well-being." The UN website said that the theme has been chosen as it is in tandem with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) which is a call for the protection and revival of ecosystems around the world.

International Day of Forests 2021 celebration

On this day, countries around the world undertake local, national as well as international efforts to participate in activities for promoting the message of preserving forests and trees, such as tree-planting campaigns. The United Nations Forum on Forests and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) organise such campaigns in collaboration with governments. The Collaborative Partnership on Forests also organises some campaigns around the world.

Importance of forests in our lives

According to UN, forests have more than 60,000 tree species and are also home to about 80 per cent of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. Around 1.6 billion people in the world depend directly on forests for food, shelter, energy, medicines and income. UN also states that more than 25 per cent of the medicines that we use originate in the rainforests. Forests also help in providing a significant portion of high-quality drinking water to over 33 per cent of the world’s biggest cities which include New York, Bogota, Tokyo and Barcelona, according to the UN.