GUEST COLUMN
Govind Singh Rajwar
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 21 as the ‘International Day of Forests’ in 2012. The day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests. The International Day of Forests 2024 will be celebrated on the theme, ‘Forests and Innovation’. The theme for each International Day of Forests is chosen by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF). Countries of the world are encouraged to organise activities involving forests such as tree planting campaigns at local, national and international levels. The organisers of the celebration of this day are the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), in collaboration with Governments of various countries and other relevant organisations in the field.
Forests are so important for people on the planet because they cover nearly a third of the Earth’s land surface, equivalent to the combined areas of Brazil, Canada, China, and the United States. Four billion hectares of forests on the planet Earth are not just vast stretches of greenery. They constitute a vital component of almost every aspect of life on our planet. Forests constitute ecosystems where rich biodiversity prevails, consisting of 60,000 different tree species, 80 per cent of amphibian species, 75 per cent of bird species, and 68 per cent of the world’s mammal species. Thus, forests are critical ecosystems, providing habitats for most of the planet’s species and livelihoods for nearly one billion people. Forests are the home to 70 million indigenous people and these people act as their primary caretakers and custodians, consequently the health of the forests is a matter of survival for them. Undoubtedly, by ensuring the conservation, sustainable management, and restoration of forests, the indigenous and native people and the planet Earth derive large benefits from such activities. Forests act as carbon sinks by absorbing billions of metric tonnes of CO2 annually, thereby playing a significant role in mitigating climate change. Forests remove greenhouse gases (GHG) from the atmosphere and help us prevent the worst impacts of the climate crisis. They provide important ecosystem services such as in regulating global rainfall patterns, in safeguarding water resources. In addition, forests act as catalysts of economic, ecological, and sociocultural well-being for many communities around the world. Nearly one billion people on this planet depend on forests. At the same time, 70 million Indigenous People call forests their home and act as their primary caretakers and custodians. For them, the health of the forests is, in essence, a matter of survival. There is no doubt that ensuring the conservation, sustainable management and restoration of forests has immense benefits for people and for the planet.
However, the forests are under immense threat due to deforestation and degradation. Preserving the forests and restoring the degraded forests is essential for achieving the world’s climate goals by different innovation activities. Forests are prime examples of natural recovery and adaptation as an effective nature-based solution. Current estimates of deforestation and forest degradation by other means account for up to one fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. A holistic approach needs to be adopted for sustainable management of forests to effectively combat and mitigate climate change. Emissions from deforestation and forest degradation need to be reduced to mitigate global CHG emissions which can facilitate forest regrowth and landscape restoration and recovery. The challenges for forest protection and conservation include firstly, the global demand for commodities such as soy, palm oil, beef and timber fuels deforestation, secondly, the insufficient domestic and international financial availability for forest-based climate mitigation strategies and as per the 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment, not a single global indicator is on path to meet the 2030 goals of stopping forest loss and degradation and restoring 350 million hectares of forest landscape and thirdly, the land tenure, rights and disputes in many regions. UNDP is tasked with global efforts to combat deforestation and its hazards. UNDP assists countries in designing and implementing national policies and measures for reducing deforestation and promoting sustainable forest management. Some examples of UNDP’s support include restoring savanna lands and degraded area in Ghana, climate change mitigation by quantification, monitoring and verification of GHG emissions in Brazil, partnering with the government and various stakeholders to accelerate sustainable economic growth and National Forest Monitoring System in Kenya, creating a deforestation-free certification scheme using Ecuador’s national forest monitoring system in Ecuador, supporting various environmental activities in Costa Rica and supporting the Social Forestry programme in Indonesia
Forest deforestation requires newtechnological advancements and innovations, as per some estimates 10 million hectare forestsare lost annually due to deforestation and around 70 hectares are affected by fires. The innovations are required for scientific data collection, early warning systems and empowering Indigenous People of Indian Himalaya and other areas of the world through land mapping and climate finance access. In fact, the forest areas of natives should have rights on these resources along with the care of these ecosystems. The innovations in forests may help in climate change mitigation in the Indian context and the Earth as a whole. The innovations include: 1) forest monitoring through modern technologies, technological advancement and utilisation of space data and remote sensing 2) choosing natural and sustainable fabrics for responsible fashion such as organic cotton, hemp, linen and bamboo which would help lower carbon and water footprint 3) organising a Farm-to-table-Dinner or meal with freshly prepared farm-to-table dishes using locally available ingredients or collaborating with local restaurants to source the dishes 4) green innovation and technology such as WIPO GREEN started by World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) which includes green technology and satellite technology in forest monitoring to address environmental, food security and climate-change challenges and by tree planting as successfully implemented in Japan, Argentina and United States 5) flooring, furniture and wall solution using hemp wood 6) using nature as financial instrument by leaving alone the forests, wetlands and other natural areas by their owners and by rewarding them for preserving ecosystems and 7) carbon-positive packaging made from cork instead of plastic 8) using seedballs for easy and affordable replanting. These and other innovations and startups would certainly reduce forest degradation and mitigate climate change impacts.
(A fellow of Linnean Society of London, the author is a former professor of botany who has also researched the ecology of the Himalaya & other mountain ranges)
