On December 20th, 2013, the UNGA pronounced March 3rd World Wildlife Day. World Wildlife day raises awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. World Wildlife Day this year was centered around the world's forests. Forest species and ecosystems sustain the livelihoods of millions globally, particularly indigenous and local communities that have historical ties to forest and forest species. Protecting forests aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals 1, 12, 13, and 15 and their commitments to alleviating poverty, ensuring sustainable use of resources, and conserving life on land.
Roughly 28% of the world’s land surface is managed by indigenous peoples, most of that land being the most ecologically intact forests in the world. These spaces are not only important to their economic and personal wellbeing, but also their culture. Forests, forest species, and the livelihoods that depend on them are currently finding themselves at a crossroads of the multiple planetary crisis we face, such as climate change, biodiversity loss and the health, social, and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
World Wildlife Day 2021 celebrated forest-based livelihoods and promoted forest and forest wildlife management methods that accommodate both our wellbeing and long-term conservation of forests and promote the value of traditional practices that help make a more stable relationship with these nature systems.
