Secretary-General, on International Day of Forests, Stresses Investment, Smart Policies Essential for Building Sustainable, Climate-Resilient Future
March 16, 2015
Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon鈥檚 message on the International Day of Forests, to be observed on 21 March:
The International Day of Forests is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of all types of forests and trees outside forests. Some 1.6 billion people 鈥� including more than 2,000 indigenous cultures 鈥� depend on forests for food, fuel, shelter and income. Three quarters of fresh water comes from forested catchments. Forests prevent landslides and erosion and 鈥� in the case of mangrove forests 鈥� reduce loss of life and damage caused by tsunamis.