March 2013: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has released a series of videos on forests in Algeria, Tanzania and the Mediterranean region in celebration of the first International Day of Forests, held 21 March 2013.

The Algeria video focuses on a tree-planting event held for local communities and participants during the Third Mediterranean Forest Week (17-21 March 2013) in Tlemcen. The video notes the multiple functions of forests for climate change, biodiversity conservation, water regulation, livelihoods and the provision of food and fodder.

In Tanzania, the video highlights the National Forestry Resources Monitoring and Assessment (NAFORMA), which is used to collect biophysical data, as well as socio-economic data on how forests are used. Assessment data are used to track carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and to support the development of sustainable forest management (SFM) policies. The video discusses the challenges of balancing forest conservation with development, especially in light of increasing threats from charcoal production and population growth leading to overuse.

In the short video on Mediterranean forests, the abandonment of forest land in the northern Mediterranean is contrasted with overuse issues in the southern region. The video also highlights threats from climate change, taking the example of precipitation change in Algeria, which faces dual threats from climate change and population growth.

All three videos stress the need to promote SFM and forest conservation in order to ensure that forests can continue to provide critical ecosystem services. [Video: International Day of Forests Celebration – Algeria] [Video: How People Use Forests in Tanzania] [Video: Changing Landscapes in the Mediterranean]