SPECIAL COVER: INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FORESTS
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March as the International Day of Forests (IDF) in 2012. The day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of Forests. The theme for IDF 2020 is "Forests and Biodiversity"
This Phila-Numismatic cover contains original 25 paise "Forestry for Development" Commemorative coin and real mahogany 600 micron wood veneer cut into tree shape and used on front face of the Special Cover.
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE:
The International Day of Forests was established on the 21st day of March, by resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on November 28, 2012. Each year, various events celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests, and trees outside forests, for the benefit of current and future generations. Countries are encouraged to undertake efforts to organize local, national, and international activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns, on International Day of Forests. The Secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization, facilitates the implementation of such events in collaboration with governments, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, and international, regional and subregional organizations. International Day of Forests was observed for the first time on March 21, 2013.
Every year, March 21 is celebrated as the International Day of Forests. The day is aimed at raising public awareness about the values, significance, and contributions of the forests to balance the life cycle on the earth. Various organisations, private and government, work together on this day to enlighten people not only about the forests at large but also the trees and vegetation that exists outside of the forested areas. The day is celebrated to make people aware of the importance of the green cover for not only today but also for all future generations.
Previously, the 16th session of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) voted to “World Forestry Day" in 1971. Then, from 2007 to 2012, the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) held six Forest Days. Partnering with Collaborative Partnership on Forest, 2011 was declared as the Year of Forests. On November 28, 2012, The United Nations General Assembly declared that March 21 shall be celebrated as International Day of Forests (IDF).
International Day of Forests: Theme
Each year, the Collaborative Partnership on Forest (which is an arm of United Nations Forum on Forests) decides on a theme for the forest day. International Day of Forests 2021 theme has been declared as is “Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well-being".
According to the official video promo of the day, “when we take a step to restore forests, we take a part in something much bigger.”This year’s theme encourages replanting and recreating lost forests to return lost habitats to millions of plants and animals.
International Day of Forests: Significance
On international Day of Forests, the agency encourages countries to “undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns.”
By promoting forests’ sustained survival, we ensure our economy, ecosystem, and species also continue to thrive. The day promotes Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) where forest-dependent communities can continue to grow and come out of poverty.
Importance of Forests
According to UN-REDD, forests are home to about 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity and an estimated 1.6 billion people use forests for all or part of their livelihoods such as food, shelter, energy and income. Millions, including people in cities, depend on forest resources for clean air and fresh water.
During the day, trees absorb carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and give out oxygen, the air that we breathe. The carbon in forests exceeds the amount of carbon currently in the atmosphere. Forests and forest soils store more than one trillion tonnes of carbon.
Hence, forests play a crucial role in fighting catastrophic climate change by absorbing and storing massive amounts of CO2. In addition, trees could reduce temperatures in cities up to 8°C, lowering use of air conditioning and related emissions by up to 40%. But as we cut them down, oftentimes to make space for agriculture, they lose their ability to regulate the global climate.
During heavy rains, trees reduce the risk of flooding. Experts say that woodland acts as a barrier to floodwater, while trees also prevent soil erosion, reducing sediment going into rivers and increasing water absorption into the ground. Forests can also retain excess rainwater, prevent extreme run-offs and reduce the damage of flooding. They can also help mitigate the effects of droughts by releasing water in the dry season, forests can also help provide clean water and mitigate the effects of droughts.
Furthermore, more than a quarter of modern medicines, worth an estimated US$ 108 billion a year, originate from tropical forest plants.
Global Distribution of Forests
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) indicates in its 2020 Report “The State of the World’s Forests” that the total forest area is 4.06 billion hectares, or approximately 5,000m2 (or 50 x 100m) per person, but forests are not equally distributed around the globe.
More than half of the world’s forests are found in only five countries (the Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, the United States of America and China) and two-thirds (66 percent) of forests are found in ten countries.
CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE
In the early periods of human history, environment strongly determined the lives and activities of the people. They were very much close to forest and natural resources as we find in historical documents. Ancient Indian texts like Arthasastra, Sathapatha Bhramanas, Vedas, Manusmrti, Brhat-Samhita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Rajtarangini reflected the concepts of forest ecology and conservation in a sustainable manner. In the Indus valley civilization, several characteristics of the city planning and social structure showed environmental awareness. The presence of leaves, wild animals like peacocks and one-horned deer, tigers, elephants, bulls in the seals and the mud pots can indicate the pattern of biodiversity in those areas. Reduction of forests in that area was due to use of huge amount of timber-wood for burning bricks. So rainfall reduced and soil erosion caused deposition of silt in the Indus River which had choked off Mohenjodaro from the sea, causing a rise in the water table that must have been a prime factor in the destruction of Mohenjodaro. The sacred groves (Tapovana) of India were rich in biodiversity and ecological wealth, which was also mentioned in many ancient Indian documents like Abhigyan Shakuntalam written by Kalidasa. They are small packets of forests dedicated to local deities. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna compares the world to a single banyan tree with unlimited branches in which all the species of animals, humans and demigods wander, which reflects the concept of community ecology. The trees like Banyan and Peepal were often referred in historical background (widely protected in Asia and Africa) are keystone resources. In modern age, there are many policies developing in many countries for forest and biodiversity conservation, but they are all directly or indirectly influenced by the traditional knowledge developed in the ancient India.
JAGADISH CHANDRA BOSE:
Demonstrated that plant tissues under different kinds of stimuli like mechanical, application of heat, electric shock, chemicals and drugs produce electirc response similar to that produced by animal tissues
GAUTAMA BUDDHA:
The forest is a peculiar organism of unlimited kindness and benevolence that makes no demand for its sustenance and extends generously the product of its life activity, it affords protection to all beings, offering shade even to the axe-man who destroys it.
