Dept of Env Sciences, JU organizes International Webinar to celebrate World Rainforest Day 2021

World Rainforest Day is observed and celebrated every year across the world. The Day was launched through the efforts and collaboration of groups, called the Rainforest Partnership with an idea to celebrate these precious natural resources and make a collaborative effort to ensure that rainforests are preserved. The theme for World Rainforest Day 2021 is ‘Protected Together. Now. Forever’. To commemorate “World Rainforest Day 2021”, the Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Jammu, and Green Campus Task Force (GCTF-JU) organized an International Webinar to highlight the importance of Amazonian Rainforests. Prof. Marc Dourojeanni, an international Amazonian expert and Professor Emeritus in the Department of Forestry Management, La Molina National Agrarian University, Peru was the resource person on the occasion. In his elaborative presentation, he discussed the status of natural resources and the environment in Amazonia. “Amazon encompasses the single largest tropical rainforest in the world and houses at least 10% of the world’s known biodiversity, including endemic and endangered flora and fauna. Amazon river accounts for 15-16% of the world’s total river discharge into the oceans and contains the largest number of freshwater fish species in the world. Rainforests act as carbon sinks that store and absorb the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, stabilizing the Earth’s climate; and circulate more than 20% of the world’s oxygen”, said Prof. Marc, while highlighting the importance of Amazon Rainforests. “Among the many concerns, deforestation has been increasing since the 1980s, owing to human demand for food, fibre, and fuel. Deforestation alone contributes 15 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions towards climate change. With the cutting of trees, nearly one billion hectares of tropical rainforests have been destroyed” he added. Prof. Marc highlighted various threats being faced by the Amazon rainforests and the probable causes of their degradation. He also suggested various preventive measures that can be taken to protect the rainforests.  Prof. M.K. Dhar, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, University of Jammu, Jammu was the Chief Guest of the occasion. He appreciated the efforts of the Department of Environmental Sciences for choosing such an important, apt, and meaningful issue of global significance for the webinar and stressed upon the need for sustainable solutions for the protection of every type of forest. “We all should come together to promote strategies to preserve rainforests and create mass awareness which is the need of the hour”, he added. Prof. Piyush Malaviya, Head, Department of Environmental Sciences, formally welcomed the guests and comprehensively introduced the theme of the webinar. Dr. Deepika Slathia, Sr. Asstt. Prof., Department of Environmental Sciences, conducted the proceedings of the program and proposed the formal vote of thanks.

Prof. Raj K Rampal, Prof. A.K. Raina, Dr. Rakesh Attri, Dr. Neeraj Sharma, Dr. Meenakshi Khajuria, Sh. O.P. Sharma Vidhyarathi, faculty members from other departments of the University, scientists and academicians from other Universities across India and the UT, research scholars, students, and the members of the civil society were amongst those who participated in the event.