UN chief calls for more efforts to invest in, protect world's forests

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday called upon all UN member states to make more efforts to invest in and protect the world's forests in order to " build a sustainable, climate- resilient future for all."

In his message to mark the International Day of Forests, the secretary-general said, "To build a sustainable, climate-resilient future for all, we must invest in our world's forests."

"That will take political commitment at the highest levels, smart policies, effective law enforcement, innovative partnerships and funding," Ban said. "On this International Day of Forests, let us commit to reducing deforestation, sustaining healthy forests and creating a climate-resilient future for all."

The International Day of Forests, observed on March 21, is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of all types of forests and trees outside.

The International Day was established by resolution of the UN General Assembly on Nov. 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 the International Day.

Some 1.6 billion people -- including more than 2,000 indigenous cultures -- depend on forests for food, fuel, shelter and income, Ban noted. "Three quarters of freshwater comes from forested catchments. Forests prevent landslides and erosion and -- in the case of mangrove forests -- reduce loss of life and damage caused by tsunamis."

"For these reasons, and more, forests are integral to the post- 2015 development agenda," he said, referring to the UN-led world efforts to hammer out a program to promote global sustainable development after 2015, the deadline of the Millennium Development Goals, a set of eight anti-poverty targets.

"Among their most important functions is their role in building climate-resilient societies," the secretary-general said. "That is why, in this year of action for sustainable development, climate change is the theme for the International Day of Forests."

"Sustaining healthy forests and mitigating and adapting to climate change are two sides of the same coin," he said. "Forests are the largest storehouses of carbon after oceans."

The carbon they store in their biomass, soils and products is equivalent to about 10 percent of carbon emissions projected for the first half of this century, he said. "At the same and land-use changes account for 17 percent of human-generated carbon dioxide emissions."

"Forests are on the front lines of climate change," he said. " These ecosystems, rich with biodiversity, are increasingly vulnerable to changes in weather, temperature and rainfall patterns. It is essential, therefore, that we work to preserve and sustainably manage our forests."

"Despite the ecological, economic and social value of forests, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate -- some 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed annually," he said. " This is not sustainable for people or the planet."

"However, there are some encouraging signs," Ban said. "In the past decade, the rate of global deforestation has decreased by almost 20 percent, which indicates that solutions exist to reverse this destructive trend." Endite