Forests, which are pillars of global food security and nutrition, are the livelihoods of millions of families. They provide essential foods such as fruits, seeds, roots and wild meat, fundamental resources for indigenous and rural communities.
Forests are a vital source of energy, providing wood for cooking, supporting agriculture by hosting pollinators and contributing to soil enrichment, climate regulation, and biodiversity conservation. Additionally, forested watersheds supply freshwater to over 85 per cent of the world’s major cities. In times of crisis, forests serve as an economic and food lifeline, contributing up to 20 per cent of family income in rural areas and ensuring access to healthy diets.
The global countries lose 10 million hectares of forest annually due to deforestation, and approximately 70 million hectares are affected by fires. Protecting and restoring these forests is urgent and necessary, as the well-being of our planet and future generations depends on them. Join the cause and support the theme of International Day of Forests 2025: ‘Forests and Food.’ The future of food begins in the forests!”
During the 2021 COP26 conference on climate change, over 100 countries committed to ending deforestation by 2030. They also pledged to contribute nearly $19.2 billion from both governments and the private sector to halt deforestation. Countries must all work together to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations, especially those related to environmental conservation and achieving global development targets.
Myanmar has a significant forest area, covering approximately 42.19 per cent of its land area, which equates to around 28.5 million hectares including diverse forests, including mangrove, dry, deciduous dipterocarp, and hill/temperate forests.
The Forest Department manages Myanmar’s forests, designating them as Reserved Forests (RF), Protected Public Forests (PPF), and Protected Areas (PA), in addition to national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, community-owned forests, commercial forests, and specific forests established by volunteers or charity organizations, all aimed at ecosystem management and conservation of natural environments.
Due to various factors contributing to environmental degradation, forests around the world are facing deforestation. On the other hand, countries globally are implementing projects to establish more forests to help save the Earth. These processes must be carried out in a series, as all events worldwide are interconnected. If one link in the chain is broken, the entire process will fail. Therefore, people around the world need to conserve forests, not only to green the planet but also to provide food for future generations.
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