International Year of Forests
The year 2011 was declared the International Year of Forests by the United Nations with resolution 61/193 .
The aim is to promote awareness and knowledge of the conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests for the benefit of present and future generations. The special importance of the forest and sustainable forest management should also be emphasized in the context of combating poverty.
All international activities are coordinated by the United Nations Forest Forum (UNFF) in cooperation with the United Nations Agricultural Organization (FAO) and supported and supplemented by national activities.
background
Forests - the World Bank estimates - provide habitats for around two thirds of all species on earth. The deforestation of tropical rainforests is responsible for the loss of biodiversity with no fewer than 100 species per day.
Forests are also an integral part of global sustainable development . According to estimates by the World Bank, more than 1.6 billion people depend on forest use for their livelihood. Internationally, forest products in the order of magnitude of 270 billion dollars are traded - forests are a motor for economic growth and employment worldwide that should not be underestimated. Resolution 61/193 recognizes that "forests and sustainable forest management can make a significant contribution to sustainable development, poverty eradication and the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals ...".
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 130,000 km² of the world's forests are lost every year. Conversion to agricultural land, unsustainable timber extraction and the creation of human settlements are the most common reasons for the loss of forest areas.
According to the World Bank, up to 20 percent of global climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions are due to deforestation . According to data from the FAO, the world's forests, including the forest floor, store more than a trillion tons of carbon - twice as much as there is in the atmosphere.
campaign
The UN Forest Forum Secretariat is the international central point of contact for the implementation of the International Year of Forests and coordinates cooperation with governments, the forest partnership and other relevant international, national and regional organizations and processes. Governments, regional and international organizations are called upon to create contact points in the respective countries in order to facilitate the organization and implementation of activities for the International Year of Forests.
In Germany, the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) has taken on the lead for the national activities and has set up its own campaign office at the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) to control and coordinate the umbrella campaign.
Federal Minister Ilse Aigner was able to win over the former Federal President Christian Wulff as patron of the “International Year of Forests” .
Numerous actors from federal, state, local authorities, associations and business are shaping the German contribution to the International Year of Forests and are participating with their activities under the motto "Discover our forest cultural heritage ".
In 2011, the German-African Cooperation Association (DAZ) started an extensive reforestation program in the savannah of Togo / West Africa. For this purpose, the purchase of a forest share has been offered since November 30, 2010.
In Switzerland, the more than 100-year-old artist Hans Erni is campaigning for the International Year of the Forests. For this purpose, he created the work of art “Forest is Life” in collaboration with the Federal Office for the Environment. The painting stands on the one hand for the symbiosis of man with the forest and on the other hand for a moderate, environmentally friendly and sustainable use of the forests. The work of art served as a template for the poster campaign of the same name at 14 train stations in Switzerland. In particular, the mega poster version of the poster (12 × 9 m) in Zurich ensured a large media presence. In addition, Hans Erni created the “Forest is Life Medal” for the Year of the Forest, which was given out to collectors in gold and silver. The proceeds from the sale of the medal go to local forest projects.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b RESOLUTION 61/193 International Year of Forests 2011 (PDF; 557 kB). Adopted at the 83rd plenary session on December 20, 2006
- ↑ International Year of Forests 2011 website of the Protection Association of German Forests , accessed on September 28, 2019
- ^ German-African Cooperation eV (DAZ): Waldaktie Savanne
- ↑ Presentation of the poster in Zurich ( Memento of the original from September 10, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ The medal
