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FAO urges investments in urban forests to address pollution, climate change

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Rome, Italy, March 21 (Infosplusgabon) - Investing in green spaces can help transform cities into more sustainable, resilient, healthy, equitable and pleasant places to live, said the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) as it celebrates International Day of Forests on Wednesday.

 

 

If planned and managed well, cities can be great places to live, but many urban developments cause environmental havoc - ultimately leading to problems such as high temperatures, flooding, and air pollution, FAO said in a statement.

 

The cost for citizens is deteriorating well-being. The costs for the planet include increased greenhouse gas emissions, the degradation of soils and waterways, according to the FAO forestry publication Unasylva, the latest issue of which is devoted to urban forestry in celebrating the International Day of Forests.

 

"Well managed forests and trees in and around cities provide habitats, food and protection for many plants and animals, helping to maintain and increase biodiversity," said FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva in his video message on the occasion of the Day.  He stressed the need "to join forces to protect forests and trees to make urban environments more sustainable".

 

The theme for the celebration is: "Forests and sustainable cities."

 

More than half the world's population now lives in cities, and by 2050 almost 70 percent of the world will be urbanized. Although cities occupy only three percent of the Earth's surface, they consume 78 percent of energy and emit 60 percent of carbon dioxide.

 

Woodlands, forests and trees in a city and on its fringes perform a wide range of vital functions - such as storing carbon, removing air pollutants, assisting in food, energy and water security, restoring degraded soils and preventing drought and floods. In a medium size city, for instance, urban trees can reduce the loss of soil by around 10,000 tons per year.

 

By shading and cooling the air, forests and trees in urban areas can reduce extreme temperatures and mitigate the effects of climate change. Indeed, trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30 percent.  In cold climates, by shielding homes from the wind, they can help save energy used for heating by 20-50 percent.

 

Urban and peri-urban forests can increase the resilience and quality of watersheds and water reservoirs by preventing erosion, limiting evapotranspiration and filtering pollutants. And planting fruit-bearing street trees can increase the availability of food within cities.

 

Many cities are already demonstrating their commitments to a more sustainable future and there are many excellent examples of green urban development, according to a new FAO publication called "Forests and sustainable cities - Inspiring stories from around the world" also launched today on the occasion of the International Day of Forests.

 

The publication highlights different ways in which cities around the globe have used forests and trees to improve the living conditions of their citizens, which may serve as inspiration for others.

 

Given that this year the High-Level Political Forum will be reviewing SDG 11 on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, and SDG 15 on protecting terrestrial ecosystems, the choice of the theme for the International Day of Forests this year, which highlights the various benefits of urban forests and trees, could not have been more timely.

 

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/ERZ/GABON 2018

 

 

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