Hello Readers!
Today we are here to discuss the International Tropics Day. Do you know why this day is celebrated? Do you know how tropics are important for our ecosystem? What are the challenges faced by them? In this blog we will discuss all the facts related to this day. So read till the end to know the answers to these questions and other points.
Let’s start by knowing what tropics are actually.
What are Tropics?
The tropics are the region of Earth which surrounds the Equator. They are the region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The 23.5 degrees North latitude that is Tropic of Cancer is known as the Northern Tropic and 23.5 degrees South latitude is known as the Southern Tropic. They cover around 36 percent of the Earth’s landmass.
History
The first state of the Tropics Report was launched on 29 June, 2014. It was a collaboration between twelve top tropical research institutions. A unique point of view was presented in the report about the tropical regions. The report was presented by the Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. On the second anniversary of the report in 2016, the UN General Assembly declared 29 June to be celebrated as International Day of Tropics every year.
Objective
The aim is to spread awareness about the challenges faced by these areas such as deforestation, logging, urbanization, climate and demographic changes. The area which is home to around 80 percent of the tropical regions of the world is battling with loss of biodiversity, poverty and health issues.
This day aims to raise awareness among the tropical countries about their roles towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Theme of 2021 Tropics Day
As per the State of the Tropics Report 2021, the theme this year is ‘The Digital Divide in the Tropics’.
During the COVID-19 pandemic the role of digital technology played an important role in the economy. However, more than 50 percent of the tropical population is not online. To understand the impact it has on poverty, equality, education and economy, the digital divide was given importance as the theme this year.
Features of Tropics
- Tropical locations are typically warm and experience little seasonal changes in day-to-day temperature.
- Rain is prevalent in the moist inner regions near the equator. The seasonality of rainfall increases with the distance from the equator. Most regions get heavy rainfall but tropical deserts like the Sahara get only 2- 10 centimeter rain in a year.
- They host nearly about 95 percent of mangrove forests and 99 percent of mangrove species.
- They have around 54 percent of the world’s renewable water resources. Still almost half of their population is considered vulnerable to water stress.
- Biodiversity is greater in these areas.
With this we come to the end of this blog. We covered the major points related to the International Day of Tropics. Hope you learnt some new facts about the tropics and their importance in the ecosystem.
Do share your views in the comments below!
