The theme of this year’s WED celebration is ‘Forests: Nature At Your Service’ the aim of which is to emphasize the key role forests have in preserving the world we know. Their role is multiple. Forests are the “lungs of the Earth” and our most reliable ally in the battle against climate change. Plants in the process of photosynthesis store large amounts of carbon dioxide releasing at the same time oxygen into the atmosphere which enables us to breathe. Furthermore, large forest areas have a significant role in precipitation formation and feeding our rivers with water, influence soil fertility preservation and its protection from erosion, mitigate great fluctuations in air temperature and accordingly create more favourable conditions for human health.
Forests provide shelter, security and jobs for dozens of millions of people. Furthermore, survival of 60 million people directly depends on their preservation, while existence of nearly 1.6 billion people on our planet indirectly depend on forests. At the same time, forests are a valuable source of raw materials. Beside timber which is daily processed into countless products, the genetic diversity in forest communities allows us advancement in science and health care, as well as development of new medicines.
Despite all of the above, deforestation continues at an alarming rate. Forests today cover 1/3 of the earth’s land mass and every year approximately 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed which is equal to the size of Portugal.
This is the last chance to change our way of life and turn towards a green future in which forests will be at the heart of our sustainable development and green economy. The key to sustainable forest management lies in our hands. Therefore, join millions of people who will again celebrate World Environment Day this year and contribute to the efforts focused on turning political leaders’ attention to the necessity of urgent action and systematic work on forest protection.
