981. Forests and Innovation: New Solutions for a Better World

March 21 is International Forest Day. In 2012, the year after the second International Year of Forests, the United Nations designated March 21 as International Forest Day to raise awareness of forests and trees worldwide.T This year's theme is "Forests and Innovation: New solutions for a better world".

Innovations in technology have revolutionized the way countries monitor and report on their forests, resulting in a significant reduction of 13.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions reported to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

However, the battle against deforestation continues, with around 10 million hectares lost annually and around 70 million hectares affected by fires. To combat this, innovation is critical in empowering indigenous communities through early warning systems, sustainable commodity production, effective land mapping, and access to climate finance.

Innovation also plays a key role in mitigating climate change and improving food security. Initiatives such as ecosystem restoration through reforestation and the promotion of sustainable wood products are pushing the boundaries of environmental sustainability.

In tropical regions, effective resource management is essential to strengthen climate and environmental control functions. This includes the implementation of regulations to curb deforestation caused by tropical forest industries.

JIRCAS has been at the forefront of developing and socially implementing technologies that enhance the resilience of tropical forests. These include the project on Strengthening Tropical Forest Resilience Based on Management and Utilization of Genetic Resources Capable of Climate Change Adaptation and the SATREPS project on Sustainable Replantation of Oil Palm by Adding Value to Oil Palm Trunk through Scientific and Technological Innovation, which can replace uncontrolled deforestation in tropical areas, particularly in Asia. In 2023, the JIRCAS International Symposium brought together researchers, companies and policy makers from tropical forest regions around the world, with a focus on Asia, to discuss the opportunities and challenges of balancing tropical forest resilience with industrial sustainability. The symposium aimed to propose innovative solutions from Asia to achieve this balance. For more details and to access the video archive of the symposium, please visit the JIRCAS International Symposium 2023 website:
 

JIRCAS International Symposium 2023
Innovations to enhance the resilience of tropical forests and sustainability of the forest industry
https://www.jircas.go.jp/en/symposium/2023/e20231117_jircas

Reference
International Forest Day
https://www.un.org/en/observances/forests-and-trees-day

Contributor: KANAMORI Norihito (Information and Public Relations Office)