The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests in 2012 to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests, which cover one third of the Earth’s landmass.

Forests and their sustainable management and use of resources are key to combating climate change, as they perform vital functions such as carbon storage and are the home of more than 80% of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects. They also play a crucial role in poverty alleviation and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, as 1,6 billion people around the world, including more than 2,000 indigenous cultures, depend on forests for their livelihoods.

In this sense, Regions4 would like to celebrate International Forest Day by showcasing the Sao Paulo Nascentes Program, a state-wide initiative that contributes to the fight against climate change by protecting and restoring riparian forests.

The Nascentes Program is the largest initiative that has been launched by the Government of São Paulo State to maintain and restore riparian forests – vegetation located around springs and along river, streams, lakes and dams which protects the water resources, avoiding silting up, facilitating the water flow regularization in addition to providing shelter and food for local fauna.

Read more about how the program works and what it has achieved so far on our Knowledge Hub.