Recently, the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) issued an urgent plea to various stakeholders, including the European Union (EU), on World Wildlife Day, calling for urgent action to save Europe’s dwindling old-growth forests. The WWF, established in 1961 with its head office in Gland, Switzerland, is dedicated to conserving nature and mitigating substantial threats to Earth’s biodiversity.
Europe’s Old-Growth Forests: An Overview
Europe’s Old-Growth Forests (OGF), which are primarily untouched by human activity, play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance. Examples of such forests include the Białowieża Forest in Poland. To date, experts have identified around 350,000 hectares of old-growth and virgin forests in Central and Southeastern Europe. Out of this, only 280,000 hectares are legally protected.
Location and Distribution
The most significant expanses of surviving OGF and forest habitats in Europe, excluding Russia, exist primarily in Romania, Ukraine, Slovakia, and Bulgaria.
Ecological Significance
These forests serve as homes for Europe’s largest surviving large carnivore populations and an array of other flora and fauna species. The forests contribute valuable ecosystem services, including freshwater filtering and storage, and climate regulation, emphasising their importance to both human life and the economy.
Threats to Old-Growth Forests
Europe’s old-growth forests face significant threats from unsustainable legal and illegal logging, coupled with the impacts of climate change. The fragmentation and destruction of these habitats lead to increased contact and conflict between animals, disease vectors, and humans.
Potential Solutions
Key steps that can help alleviate these issues include the development and promotion of sustainable compensation mechanisms and creating forestry-centered local green business and investment schemes. These initiatives can support the sustainable development of these endangered forests.
World Wildlife Day
Celebrated annually on 3rd March since 2013, World Wildlife Day commemorates the signing of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973. The United Nations General Assembly also designated the CITES Secretariat as the custodian for this global wildlife observance day on the UN calendar. The theme for World Wildlife Day 2021 is “Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet,” aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Initiatives in India
In India, the Union Environment Ministry dedicated World Wildlife Day to reintroducing the Cheetah, which went extinct in the country in 1952. This effort indicates the global significance of this observance and the concerted actions required to preserve the earth’s wildlife and their habitats.