The International Day of Forests is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of all types of forests and trees outside forests. Some 1.6 billion people – including more than 2,000 indigenous cultures – depend on forests for food, fuel, shelter and income. Three quarters of freshwater comes from forested catchments. Forests prevent landslides and erosion and – in the case of mangrove forests – reduce loss of life and damage caused by tsunamis.
国际森林日旨在促使人们更好地认识到各类森林和森林以外树木的重要性。约有16亿人——包括2 000多种土著文化——依赖森林获得粮食、燃料、住所和收入。四分之三的淡水来自森林覆盖的集水区。森林可以防止滑坡和侵蚀，红树林还可以减少海啸造成的生命损失和损害。
For these reasons, and more, forests are integral to the post-2015 development agenda. Among their most important functions is their role in building climate-resilient societies. That is why, in this year of action for sustainable development, climate change is the theme for the International Day of Forests.
由于这些及其他原因，森林是2015年后发展议程不可或缺的组成部分。森林最重要作用之一是它有助于建设能抵御气候变化的社会。正因如此，在这个采取行动促进可持续发展之年，气候变化成为国际森林日的主题。
Sustaining healthy forests and mitigating and adapting to climate change are two sides of the same coin. Forests are the largest storehouses of carbon after oceans. The carbon they store in their biomass, soils and products is equivalent to about 10 per cent of carbon emissions projected for the first half of this century. At the same time, deforestation and land-use changes account for 17 per cent of human-generated carbon dioxide emissions.
维持健康的森林与减轻和适应气候变化是同一个问题的两个方面。森林是海洋以外最大的碳仓库。森林生物物质、土壤和产品中的碳储量相当于本世纪上半叶预计碳排放量的大约10%。同时，人类产生的二氧化碳排放量有17%源于毁林和土地用途变化。
Forests are on the front lines of climate change. These ecosystems, rich with biodiversity, are increasingly vulnerable to changes in weather, temperature and rainfall patterns. It is essential, therefore, that we work to preserve and sustainably manage our forests.
森林在气候变化中首当其冲。富于生物多样性的森林生态系统越来越容易受到天气、温度和降雨模式变化的影响。因此，我们必须努力保护和可持续地管理我们的森林。
Despite the ecological, economic and social value of forests, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate – some 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed annually. This is not sustainable for people or the planet. However, there are some encouraging signs. In the past decade, the rate of global deforestation has decreased by almost 20 per cent, which indicates that solutions exist to reverse this destructive trend.
森林具有生态、经济和社会价值，但全球森林仍在以惊人的速度持续减少——每年约有1300万公顷森林被毁。这对人类和地球而言都是不可持续的。但是，也有一些令人鼓舞的迹象。过去十年来，全球毁林率下降了近20%，这表明确实有办法扭转这种破坏趋势。
To build a sustainable, climate-resilient future for all, we must invest in our world's forests. That will take political commitment at the highest levels, smart policies, effective law enforcement, innovative partnerships and funding. On this International Day of Forests, let us commit to reducing deforestation, sustaining healthy forests and creating a climate-resilient future for all.
要为所有人建设一个能抵御气候变化的可持续的未来，就必须投资于世界的森林。这需要最高一级的政治承诺、明智的政策、有效的执法、创新的伙伴关系和资金筹措。在这个国际森林日，让我们承诺减少毁林，维持健康的森林，为所有人创造一个能抵御气候变化的未来。