World Environment Day 2011 Theme: Commemorated every year on June 5th since 1972, World Environment Day is the principal vehicle through which the United Nations stimulates and generates worldwide awareness on the environment. The world environment day 2011, in support of the UN declared International Year of Forest (IYF), is aimed to be the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive action for the environment. The global host country for this year’s World Environment Day celebration is none other than our very own country, India. This year’s theme “Forest :Nature at your service”, underscores the variety of life sustaining services that forest provide and calls on all of us to protect and conserve these resources and move towards a green economy. It is aimed to encourage forest conservation and sustainable consumption for green growth and in support of the UN international year of Forest initiative.
If you ever wondered how it would be possible for you o save an entire forest then look no further than making simple lifestyle changes. Forests plays multiple roles in our lives including providing a source of livelihood, refuge for many species and clean air for all. As a result of growing global pollution levels forests have often come to be referred to as the ‘lungs of the earth’. This is particularly because deforestation and forest degradation account for nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which forest would absorb if carefully managed. Broadly, there are three main sources of forest degradation: commercial logging, fires and gathering wood for fuel. Insects and pets also cause considerable forest degradation.
Benefits of Forest
As a resource, forest provide many important natural resources, such as timber, fuel, rubber, paper and medicinal plants. Forest also help sustain and availability of freshwater supplies. More than three quarters of the worlds accessible freshwater comes from forested catchments. Water quality declines with decreases in forest condition and cover, and natural hazards such as floods, landslides and soil erosion have larger impacts.
Climate change mitigation
It is well known that forest play key role in our battle against climate change: storing carbon and sucking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and locking it into their biomass.
Ecosystem services (water)
What is less known is that the products and services they provide are essential to every aspect of life. By regulating water for many of the world’s river, they help secure water quality and supply nearly half of the world’s largest cities. They also help decrease the impacts of storms and floods, whilst helping control erosion.
Biodiversity As the most biologically diverse ecosystems on land, forest are home to more than half of terrestrial species, from the great apes to the smallest of creatures.
Economics and Livelihoods.
They also provide homes, security and livelihoods for 60 million Indigenous people, whilst contributing to the livelihoods of 1.6 billion people worldwide.
Products & Biodiversity
The impact of forest reaches even further. In many developing countries more than 80% of total energy consumed by people and industry such as fuel wood and charcoal is derived from forest. Trade in timber and other forest products are estimated at almost 330 billion US Dollar/year. Its value multiplies as the timber is processed into a myriad of products used globally everyday. Use of the genetic diversity within forest enables the development of new medicines: progress in healthcare and science.
Source: http://www.morungexpress.com/express_review/66602.html
If you ever wondered how it would be possible for you o save an entire forest then look no further than making simple lifestyle changes. Forests plays multiple roles in our lives including providing a source of livelihood, refuge for many species and clean air for all. As a result of growing global pollution levels forests have often come to be referred to as the ‘lungs of the earth’. This is particularly because deforestation and forest degradation account for nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which forest would absorb if carefully managed. Broadly, there are three main sources of forest degradation: commercial logging, fires and gathering wood for fuel. Insects and pets also cause considerable forest degradation.
Benefits of Forest
As a resource, forest provide many important natural resources, such as timber, fuel, rubber, paper and medicinal plants. Forest also help sustain and availability of freshwater supplies. More than three quarters of the worlds accessible freshwater comes from forested catchments. Water quality declines with decreases in forest condition and cover, and natural hazards such as floods, landslides and soil erosion have larger impacts.
Climate change mitigation
It is well known that forest play key role in our battle against climate change: storing carbon and sucking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and locking it into their biomass.
Ecosystem services (water)
What is less known is that the products and services they provide are essential to every aspect of life. By regulating water for many of the world’s river, they help secure water quality and supply nearly half of the world’s largest cities. They also help decrease the impacts of storms and floods, whilst helping control erosion.
Biodiversity As the most biologically diverse ecosystems on land, forest are home to more than half of terrestrial species, from the great apes to the smallest of creatures.
Economics and Livelihoods.
They also provide homes, security and livelihoods for 60 million Indigenous people, whilst contributing to the livelihoods of 1.6 billion people worldwide.
Products & Biodiversity
The impact of forest reaches even further. In many developing countries more than 80% of total energy consumed by people and industry such as fuel wood and charcoal is derived from forest. Trade in timber and other forest products are estimated at almost 330 billion US Dollar/year. Its value multiplies as the timber is processed into a myriad of products used globally everyday. Use of the genetic diversity within forest enables the development of new medicines: progress in healthcare and science.
Source: http://www.morungexpress.com/express_review/66602.html
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| World Environment Day 2011 Theme |
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