We could not survive without them, yet their survival is threatened by us. Our wildlife gives us food, cleans our air and provides us with fuel and shelter. 'World Wildlife Day is an opportunity to think about the plants and animals we share the planet with and consider what they do for us - and what we should be doing for them. Message from Ivonne Higuero, Secretary-General of CITES for World Wildlife Day 2022 Watch Secretary-General Guterres' message × In so doing, we will contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals for people, planet and prosperity. So, on this year’s World Wildlife Day, I urge governments, businesses and people everywhere to scale up efforts to conserve forests and forest species, and to support and listen to the voices of forest communities. The illegal trade in wild animal species is another threat, increasing the risks of zoonotic diseases, such as Ebola and COVID-19.

It also attracts the world’s biggest organized crime groups. So is global timber trafficking, which accounts for up to 90 per cent of tropical deforestation in some countries. Unsustainable agriculture is a major cause. The unsustainable exploitation of forests harms these communities and contributes to biodiversity loss and climate disruption.Įvery year, we lose 4.7 million hectares of forests – an area larger than Denmark. They provide livelihoods and cultural identity. Some 28 per cent of the world’s land is managed by indigenous communities, including some of the most intact forests on the planet. This is particularly true for indigenous communities that live in or near forests. Some 90 per cent of the world’s poorest people are dependent in some way on forest resources. They help regulate the climate and support the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people.

The planet’s forests are home to some 80 per cent of all terrestrial wild species.

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