WORLD FOREST DAY (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: As we mark World Forestry Day, it's vital to remember the significance of forests and the urgent need to protect them, especially considering the recently heightened awareness of environmental preservation.

World Forest Day

• About: It is an annual reminder of the crucial role forests and trees play in our lives.
• Date: It is celebrated annually on March 21, falling on a Thursday this year.
• Organizers: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Forum on Forests coordinate the International Day of Forests.
• Theme: Forests and Innovation: New Solutions for a Better World.
• Historical Background: Proposed in 1971 by the General Assembly of the European Confederation of Agriculture.

oMarch 21st chosen by the United Nations due to its alignment with Vernal Equinox and Autumn Equinox in the northern and southern hemispheres.

• Significance
• Action-Oriented Celebration: Celebrating World Forestry Day entails engaging in activities such as tree planting, raising awareness about the significance of forests, and supporting afforestation initiatives.
• Vital Reminder: World Forestry Day serves as a poignant reminder of the indispensable contribution of forests in sustaining life on Earth and the urgent need to safeguard them for future generations.

India Initiatives to Conservation of Forest

• Implementation of Forest Protection Laws: For preservation and protection of forest and wildlife, various laws including the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, Indian Forest Act, 1927, Wildlife Protection Act 1972, and other central/state laws as applicable to a State/UT, are implemented by the respective State Government /UT Administration.
• National Afforestation Programme (NAP) and Green India Mission (GIM): NAP, merged with GIM, focuses on afforestation in degraded forests with people's participation, including a specific sub-mission for enhancing tree cover in urban and peri-urban areas.
• Cross-Sectoral Collaboration for Tree Plantation: Tree plantation initiatives are carried out cross-sectorally, involving various ministries/organizations and State Plan budgets, recognizing it as a multi-departmental, multi-agency activity.