The theme for International Day of Forests this year is "Forests and sustainable production and consumption," which refers to sustainable forest management and the way we manage forest resources that are the key to combating climate change and to contributing to the prosperity and well-being of current and future generations, FAO Indonesia noted in a statement received here on Monday.
According to the FAO, forests play a crucial role in poverty alleviation and in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Forests and woods help to provide chemical-free food and water in many kitchens, build countless furniture and wooden utensils, replace materials as harmful as plastic, create fibers for our clothes and, through technology, be part of the fields of medicine or the space race, the FAO stated.
"It is vital to produce and consume wood in a more environmentally friendly way for the planet and its inhabitants. Let us protect this easily renewable resource through sustainable management of forests," FAO representative in Indonesia Rajendra Aryal noted.
Yet despite all these priceless ecological, economic, social, and health benefits, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate, he added.
FAO noted that the world is losing 10 million hectares of forest a year -- over half the size of Sulawesi -- and land degradation affects almost two billion hectares, an area larger than South America.
Forest loss and degradation emit enormous quantities of climate-warming gases, and it is estimated that more than eight percent of the forest plants and five percent of forest animals and birds are at "extremely considerable risk" of extinction, the FAO stated.
"The Government of Indonesia has shown tremendous effort to reduce deforestation. We need to laud this effort by supporting the Indonesian government to enforce the law to protect the forest and the forest community as the fundamental aspects in managing sustainable forests," Rajendra stated.
In a recent report of the FAO, deforestation in Indonesia was the lowest in six years.
In 2019, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry had rehabilitated around 400 thousand hectares of forests. During the pandemic, the ministry planned on increasing the number of seedlings to be planted this year.
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Indonesia's G20 presidency also boosts the country's programme to achieve sustainable economic development, and the year 2045 targets to include the sustainable management of forests.
The FAO is committed to supporting Indonesia to ensure that its woods are produced in a sustainable way under the protection of the law.
Forests are home to some 80 percent of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity, with more than 60 thousand tree species. Some 1.6 billion people depend directly on forests for food, shelter, energy, medicines, and income, according to the FAO.
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 21 as the International Day of Forests in 2012. The day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests.
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Reporter: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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