All you need to know about Seoul Forest Declaration
Hyderabad: On May 13, 2022, the 15th World Forestry Congress concluded in Seoul and the Seoul Forest Declaration was adopted. The 15th edition of this event was hosted by the South Korean government in Seoul. The Declaration was signed by 141 participant countries. Read more about the Declaration. World Forestry Congress It is held every six […]
Hyderabad: On May 13, 2022, the 15th World Forestry Congress concluded in Seoul and the Seoul Forest Declaration was adopted. The 15th edition of this event was hosted by the South Korean government in Seoul. The Declaration was signed by 141 participant countries. Read more about the Declaration.
World Forestry Congress It is held every six years. This year’s event, hosted by the Republic of Korea and co-organized with FAO, was the second congress held in Asia. Indonesia hosted the first Congress in Asia in 1978. Congress has been providing a forum for inclusive discussion on the key challenges and way forward for the forestry sector. The theme for 2022: Building a green, healthy and resilient.
Aim of the meeting
To build a new vision – a new way of thinking and acting – for the future of forests and forestry in sustainable development at all levels. Investing in forests and forestry is an investment in people and their livelihoods, especially the rural poor, youth and women. In turn, this is an investment in sustainable development and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Highlights of the Declaration
- Urges for Shared Responsibility: The declaration urges that responsibility for forests should be shared and integrated across institutions, sectors and stakeholders.
- It was underlined that forests transcend political, social and environmental boundaries and are vital for biodiversity and the carbon, water and energy cycles at a planetary scale.
- Investment in Forest: Investment in forest and landscape restoration globally needs to triple by 2030th meet internationally agreed commitments and targets on restoring degraded land.
- Circular Bio-economy and Climate Neutrality: One of the key takeaways from Congress was the importance of moving towards a circular bio-economy and climate neutrality.
- The Declaration called for innovative green financing mechanisms to upscale investment in forest conservation, restoration and sustainable use, and highlighted the potential of sustainably produced wood as a renewable, recyclable and versatile material.
- Steps to Prevent Future Pandemics: Healthy, productive forests must also be maintained to reduce the risk of future pandemics and to provide other essential benefits for human physical and mental health.
- Need for Innovative Technologies and Mechanisms: The Declaration urged continued development and use of emerging innovative technologies and mechanisms to enable evidence-based forest and landscape decision-making.
Major Initiatives of India
National Mission for a Green India: It is one of the eight Missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). It was launched in February, 2014 to safeguard the biological resources of our nation and associated livelihoods against the peril of adverse climate change and to recognize the vital impact of forestry on ecological sustainability, biodiversity conservation and food-, water- and livelihood-security.
National Afforestation Programme (NAP): It has been implemented since 2000 for the afforestation of degraded forest lands. It is being implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).