6 January 2011 - Carbon Central Network. 2011 has been officially declared the International Year of Forests by the United Nations in order to raise awareness and strengthen the sustainable forest management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests for the benefit of current and future generations.
The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that every year 130,000 km2 of the world's forests are lost due to deforestation. Conversion to agricultural land, unsustainable harvesting of timber, unsound land management practices, and creation of human settlements are the most common reasons for this loss of forested areas.
According to the World Bank, deforestation accounts for up to 20 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. FAO data estimates that the world's forests and forest soil store more than one trillion tons of carbon - twice the amount found in the atmosphere.
The World Bank estimates that forests provide habitats to about two-thirds of all species on Earth, and that deforestation of closed tropical rainforests could account for biodiversity loss of as many as 100 species a day.
According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration, "Across the globe lie more than a billion hectares of lost and degraded forest land that could be restored".
The Secretariat of the United Nations Forum on Forests is the focal point for implementation of the International Year in collaboration with Governments, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and other relevant organisations and processes.
Governments, regional and international organisations and civil society organisations are expected to create national committees and designate focal points in their respective countries to facilitate organisation of activities in support of the International Year of Forests.
We also encourage all CCN Members to voice their support for the International Year of the Forest by also visiting www.rainforestsos.org founded by Prince Charles of Wales. There is some great information available on this site also on the importance of preserving our rainforests.