Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Role of forests in fighting climate change is threatened
INTERNATIONAL Day of Forests, so proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 2012, is aimed at focusing our attention on the degradation of forests around the world and their importance.
The theme for 2024 is Forests and Innovation. The day which was celebrated on Thursday raises awareness of all types of forests and aims to highlight the significance of forest ecosystems in the fight against climate change and to warn of the danger of their degradation.
On each International Day of Forests, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national, and international efforts to organise activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns.
Although South Africa by nature is not forest rich, it has natural (indigenous) forests which are important to conserve, and timber plantations. Approximately 70% of the forestry landscape, 1.2 million hectares, is planted in compartments through historic afforestation, covering approximately 1% of the country.
Many forests are found in the coastal provinces of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), the Western Cape and Eastern Cape, all known for their beauty, rich biodiversity and vast birdlife. In KZN we have the Mkhuze Fig Forest, Ongoye Forest and the Dlinza Forest. Other forests in this province include Hawaan, Hlatikhulu, Karkloof, Ngome, and Weza, each with its own endemic plant and animal species that set it apart.
Along the Garden Route in the Western Cape province you'll discover the Tsitsikamma Forest, a rare rainforest with its name meaning “the place of clear water”. The Modjadji Cycad Forest in Limpopo is the most fascinating of all. The oldest cycads in the world grow here, inextricably linked to the incredible culture of Modjadji (the rain queen) and the BaLobedu people.
Forests are often referred to as the lungs of the Earth. They are like giant
sponges that the earth uses to breathe. The trees and plants release oxygen and absorb and trap carbon dioxide, helping to combat global warming and stabilising the climate. They also provide food and habitats for many living things. They control atmospheric temperatures, protect watershed areas and regulate the water cycle. Trees also enrich the soil, provide raw materials such as timber for construction material and paper as well as being source areas for palm oil harvesting.
Professor Paxie Chirwa, chairperson and director: Forest Postgraduate Programme, University of Pretoria, has championed forest conservation through his research work. He received the NSTF-South32 Management Award for his contribution, centred on people, to future forestry development in South Africa and training future foresters, aimed at recognising the importance of communities in proximity to forest resources in sustainable forest management and use.
The Amazon Rainforest in South America plays a critical role in Earth's climate system, storing 150 to 200 billion tons of carbon. It is also essential due to its biodiversity and the indigenous communities that live within it.
The Amazonian Indigenous Territories store nearly one third (32.8%) of the Amazon's above-ground carbon, making a significant contribution to the mitigation of climate change. Rainfall produced in the Amazon results in the largest river discharge on Earth, accounting for about 20% of the total world river input to oceans.
The Amazon is being decimated and is quickly reaching a tipping point. Overexploitation, deforestation and forest fragmentation are pushing deforestation levels towards 20%, a point of no return beyond which the rainforest will be unable to regenerate. Directly affecting the livelihoods of the 47 million people living in the Amazon, 511 indigenous groups, 10% of the planet's biodiversity, and aggravating the global climate and biodiversity crises.
The Science Panel for the Amazon at COP26 stated that 18% of Amazon forests have been converted to other uses, with an additional 17% of the biome degraded. The report also warns that the vital goal of keeping global warming to 1.5°C cannot be met if the Amazon Rainforest is lost. Urgent action is needed to help ensure an ecologically healthy Amazon, and this will require international co-operation.