The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests in 2012.
The Day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests. On each International Day of Forests, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national, and international efforts to organise activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns.
Without forests, the world would be a barren and lifeless place to live.
The theme for each International Day of Forests is chosen by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests. The theme for 2024 is 'Forests and Innovation: New solutions for a better world'.
Key messages relating to the theme for 2024:
- Innovation and technology have transformed countries’ ability to monitor and report on their forests.
13.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide forest emission reductions or enhancements have been reported to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, thanks to innovative and transparent forest monitoring.
- New technological innovations are needed to halt deforestation and forest degradation.
With 10 million hectares of forest lost to deforestation and approximately 70 million hectares affected by fires annually, technological innovations are needed for early warning systems for fires and forest loss, and to enable sustainable commodity production.
- Technological innovations can empower Indigenous people through mapping and securing customary land.
Indigenous people are custodians of the world’s remaining intact forests, mapping and securing customary lands and enabling access to climate finance, can help ensure their crucial role in biodiversity conservation and carbon storage.
- Innovation is advancing ecosystem restoration as a powerful nature-based solution to multiple global challenges.
Innovative approaches under the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, including restoring forests and planting trees on degraded land, can contribute one third of the total climate mitigation needed to limit warming to below 2°C by 2030, while boosting food security and livelihoods.
- Research and science are pushing the boundaries of what can be done with wood and other forest products.
From construction to medicine, innovations in forest products are helping create alternatives to unsustainable materials such as concrete, steel, and synthetic fibres, while sustainable wood products store carbon for their lifetime.
Forests are vital for our well-being. They cover nearly a third of the globe and provide an invaluable variety of social, economic, and environmental benefits.
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International Day of Forests Poster 1 (3.45 MB)
