Healthy forests for healthy people: Celebration of International Day of Forests in Russia

22 March, on the occasion of the International Day of Forests (IDF), the FAO Liaison Office with the Russian Federation in cooperation with the Federal Forestry Agency of Russia (Rosleskhoz), the UNEP Russia Office and with the support of the UN Information Centre in Moscow held a videoconference at the TASS Press Centre to raise public awareness of the importance of forests for people and the planet.

Mr Oleg Kobiakov, Director of FAOLOR, noted in his opening remarks that the International Day of Forests was an opportunity to focus on these invaluable natural resources that occupy one third of the surface of our planet. “We, as humanity, owe a lot to forests, and the pandemic has once again highlighted our dependence on forestы. Vital forest products, such as cellulose, were used to make protective equipment, and paper and cardboard became package for food, medicines and other goods delivered during lockdowns. Forests became a place for physical exercise and recreation and helped promote health and good mood in these difficult times. Forests are also a vital social protection mechanism, a source of food and income, especially when supply chains are disrupted.” The FAOLOR Director also emphasized that 420 million hectares of forest lands had been lost over the past 30 years, and the Russian Federation was an important partner of FAO in forest conservation. “The Russian Federation has vast experience in forest restoration and sustainable use of forest resources, providing an example both for specialists and the public abroad”, he said.

Mr Nikolai Nikolaev, Chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources, Property and Land of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, spoke of Russia’s legislative efforts in forest conservation and restoration and said forest policy was a priority in terms of natural resources management. He spoke about the law “On mandatory compensatory forest restoration” adopted two years ago, which obliges any company to fully restore forest cover in logging areas. He also stressed the importance of digitalization in monitoring forest resources and announced the development of an integrated forest management strategy.

Mr Alexander Panfilov, Deputy Head of Rosleskhoz, offered the conference participants his greetings on the occasion of the International Day of Forests and outlined the position of Russian executive authorities on forest policy. He stressed that even after the pandemic, forests would not lose their significance in terms of nature conservation and climate protection. Mr Panfilov highlighted the importance of planting trees in cities in the context of urbanization and traffic congestion and spoke about the ambitious goal to achieve 100 per cent restoration of clearcut forests.

Mr Igor Kastiukevich, Deputy Head of the All-Russian Popular Front (ONF) Executive Committee and member of the ONF Central Office, reported on volunteer campaigns for wildfire protection and forest restoration. He also mentioned the "Save the Forest" campaign, carried out jointly with Rosleskhoz and volunteer organizations, whose participants planted over one million trees throughout the country.

Mr Vladimir Kuznetsov, Director of the UN Information Centre in Moscow, read out the message by Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, on the occasion of the International Day of Forests. In particular, the UN Secretary-General said, “Humanity’s well-being is inextricably linked to the health of our planet. Forests play a crucial role. Forests filter the air we breathe and the water we drink.” He called for greater focus on forest preservation and restoration within the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and for joint action involving governments, civil society and private sector. 

Representative of Siberia, Mr Roman Smalev, Deputy Head of the Tomsk Region Forestry Department, spoke of Siberian pine forests exploitation in the Tomsk Region, where forests span 28 million hectares, thus covering 91 percent of the Region’s territory.  The Tomsk Region is ranked second in Siberia in terms of pine forests area. Roman Smalev said that harvesting wild commodities was an opportunity to develop renewable biological resources, as well as to promote employment and small businesses development.

Mr Aleksei Alpet, Director-General of the “Siberian Pine Nut Company” LLC, told the conference about his company and its focus on wild commodities over the past 6 years. Domestically, the company aims to create new jobs for the population not only during the logging season, but throughout the year, and internationally its goal is to showcase the potential of pristine Siberian forests and of the Russian Federation as a country rich not only in black, but also in green gold.

Ms Tiina Vähänen, Deputy Director, Forestry Division, FAO Headquarters, also addressed the conference. She spoke about the role of forests in the production of everyday goods, as well as their potential to reduce hunger and increase food security. Ms Tiina Vähänen further commended the cooperation between FAO and the Russian Federation, noted with appreciation the publication of the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, including its Russian language version, and spoke about a workshop focusing on training on remote sensing of forest resources which brought together 30 Russian experts who are to analyse more than 40 thousand samples. In addition, Ms Tiina Vähänen mentioned Russia’s active participation in the Forest Invasive Species Network, initiated by FAO.

As Mr Vladimir Moshkalo, Head of the UNEP Office in the Russian Federation, noted, “When we drink a glass of water, write in a notebook, take a medicine from fever or build a house, we do not always make the connection between these activities and forests. However, the abovementioned and other aspects of our life are closely linked with the latter.” Mr Moshkalo said that every year forests convert more than 2 milliard tons of carbon dioxide into oxygen and provide 80 percent of biodiversity. In conclusion, he invited everybody to take part in the journalist contest entitled "People, forests, climate", organized jointly by UNEP, FAO and RusKlimatFund.

Ms Paola Deda, Director of Forests, Land and Housing Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), highlighted key aspects of cooperation between FAO and the Russian Federation, particularly on boreal forests. “The expert team on boreal forests enjoys significant support from the Russian Federation," Ms Deda noted. “Forests are an important source of healthy food.”

The conference featured the vernissage of an exhibition organized by Sergei Andriyaka’s Academy of Watercolor and Fine Arts to showcase the paintings created as part of the “Forests of Russia” project, with Rosleskhoz as co-organizer. The participants watched a pre-recorded video message by Mr Sergei Andriaka,  People's Artist of the Russian Federation, member of the Russian Academy of Arts; representatives of the Academy spoke about the joint project with Rosleskhoz that had enabled artists to visit various regions of Russia and get inspiration for new paintings dedicated to forests. Mr Alexander Volkov mentioned a special role of birch trees and birch groves in Russian culture, and Ms Elizaveta Andriaka underlined that forests had always held a prominent place in traditional Russian art.

Ms Yulia Karimova, Head of the All-Russian Social Movement “Volunteers of Victory” International Programmes Directorate, presented the “Garden of Memory International Campaign” dedicated to the memory of all those who perished in the Great Patriotic War. The campaign has gained support from neighbour countries, as well as from Latin America and the United States. 

In conclusion, Mr Alexander Panfilov, Deputy Head of Rosleskhoz, responded to journalists’ questions.

Please click on video recording to review the discussion at the conference.

Background:

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests (IDF) in 2012. The IDF is held annually to support the efforts of countries at local, national and international levels to organize activities related to forests and trees, such as trees planting campaigns. The theme of the IDF for this year is “Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well-being.”

Key messages of the IDF 2021:

• Healthy forests mean healthy people.
• Forest food provides healthy diets.
• Restoring forests will improve our environment.
• Sustainable forestry can create millions of green jobs.
• It is possible to restore degraded lands at a huge scale.
• Every tree counts.
• Engaging and empowering people to sustainably use forests is a key step towards positive change.
• We can recover from our planetary, health and economic crisis. Let’s restore the planet within this decade!

Forests provide health benefits for everyone. Urban green spaces provide cleaner air and pleasant surroundings and produce considerable benefits for the mental and physical health of urban dwellers. From 25 to 80 percent of all pharmaceuticals are based on forest medicinal plants. Forest nuts and berries are a storehouse of natural vitamins and antioxidants. Forests provide more than 86 million green jobs and support the livelihoods of many more people on the planet.

The last year and self-isolating periods have forced the whole world to rethink the value of the fresh air and nature. The COVID-19 pandemic has made us think about the future of the planet in a new way. Forests are our common invaluable wealth, and the restoration of forests through joint efforts is a path to recovery and well-being.