Context: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is organising a Country-Led Initiative (CLI) event as part of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF).

Importance of Forest

• Forests provide habitats to millions of animals and support numerous ecosystems.

• About 90 percent of all earth’s species dwell in forests.

• Forests serve as watershed regions because nearly all of the water in forest areas comes from forest-derived water tables as well as rivers, lakes, and streams.

• The forest cover protects streams and rivers passing through forests from the sun's radiation and drying.

• Forests act as a repository for biodiversity genes resulting in a diverse range of plant and animal life forms in distinct forest settings.

• Forests serve a vital part in purifying the air we breathe. During the day, trees and plants take carbon dioxide and release oxygen through photosynthesis.

• Because trees and plants regulate atmospheric temperatures through evapotranspiration and provide an environmental breeze, forests act as climate stabilizers.

• Plants and trees assist in the recycling of soil nutrients by shedding leaves and small branches.

• Plant and tree roots also help to break down soil into smaller particles and increase water infiltration.

• Forests also have a role in the natural cycle of water evaporation, condensation, and precipitation in the form of rain.

Threats to the Forest

• Climate change is one of the most pressing issues confronting the planet today.

• While forests can aid in the fight against climate change, they are also extremely vulnerable to changing weather patterns.

• The type of forest that can grow in a given region is determined by the climate.

• Forests must adapt to changing climate conditions. The adaptation process, on the other hand, frequently takes longer than the changing climate conditions allow.

• Deforestation has the potential to have a significant detrimental influence on forest biodiversity.

• Deforestation is projected to be responsible for the loss of 13 million hectares of forest each year, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

• Natural disturbances are working with climate change to accelerate the further degradation of forests.

• Invasive plant and insect species are gaining an advantage over native species as a result of climate change.

About the United Nations Forum on Forests

• Its main objective to promote the management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests and to strengthen long-term political commitment.

• UNFF is a subsidiary body that was established by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) on October 2000.

• India is a founding member of UNFF. 

• The Forum meets annually at the UN Headquarters in New York, bringing together representatives of all member states and forest-related agencies for high-level dialogue on technical matters in odd years and policy matters in even years.

• The Forum has universal membership and is composed of all Member States of the United Nations and specialized agencies.

• The UN General Assembly adopted the first ever UN Strategic Plan for Forests (UNSPF) 2017-2030.

• This Strategic Plan serves as a global framework for actions at all levels to achieve the sustainable management of all types of forests, including trees outside forests and to combat deforestation.

What is the Country-Led Initiative (CLI)?

• Its primary goal is to contribute to the discussions of UNFF regarding the implementation of Sustainable Forest Management and the UN Strategic Plan for Forests.

• It also aims to facilitate the sharing of best practises among UNFF member States for the implementation of SFM and UNSPF.

• In India it is organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

• This year, CLI will discuss thematic areas involving forest fires and forest certification.

• During this event, experts from UNFF member countries, the UN organizations, regional and sub-regional partners, as well as major groups, will deliberate on the thematic issues.

United Nations Strategic Plan for Forests 2017–2030

• The agreement on the first-ever UN Strategic Plan for Forests was reached in January 2017 during a special session of the UN Forum on Forests, and it provides an ambitious vision for global forests in 2030.

• The plan was approved by the UN Economic and Social Council on April 20, 2017, and then by the UN General Assembly on April 27, 2017.

• The Strategic Plan includes six voluntary and universal Global Forest Goals and 26 associated targets to be met by 2030.

• It includes a target of increasing forest area by 3% globally by 2030, which equates to an increase of 120 million hectares, or more than twice the size of France.

• It expands on the vision of the 2030 Agenda and recognizes that real change necessitates decisive, collective action both within and outside the UN System.

UNFF - Global Forest Goals

• Six voluntary and universal Global Forest Goals and 26 related targets have been agreed upon as part of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests (2017- 2030).

• Goal 1: Increase efforts to prevent forest degradation and contribute to the global effort to address climate change while reversing the loss of forest cover worldwide through sustainable forest management, including protection, restoration, afforestation, and reforestation.

• Goal 2: Increase the economic, social, and environmental benefits of using forests, especially by enhancing the lives of those who rely on them.

• Goal 3: Significantly increase the extent of globally protected forests, other sustainably managed forest areas, and the percentage of forest products derived from sustainably managed forests.

• Goal 4: Increase financial support significantly from all sources for the implementation of sustainable forest management, and strengthen partnerships and collaborations in the fields of science and technology.

• Goal 5: Strengthen the role of forests in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by promoting governance structures to execute sustainable forest management, notably through the United Nations forest instrument.

• Goal 6: Strengthen collaboration, coordination, coherence, and synergy on matters pertaining to forests at all levels, including within the framework of the United Nations and among Collaborative Partnership on Forests members organizations, as well as between sectors and pertinent stakeholders.

Conclusion

• There is plenty of room for private and public initiatives, growth in bilateral and multilateral cooperation at a regional level, an increase in the general public's understanding of sustainable forestry, and for forests to become fully sustainable globally in anticipation of the increasing demand that will be placed on them as our population grows. These initiatives have momentum, the potential for new technologies, and widespread public acceptance. All that is required is more time for discussion and agreement inside the UNFF.