Today is the International Day of Tropics; know all about the tropics here
Know all about the International Day of Tropics: The International Day of Tropics is an opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary ecological diversity of the tropical regions of the world. Home to around 80 per cent of the world's biodiversity, the tropics face multiple challenges, including the climate change, deforestation and loss of biodiversity among others. The local people in the tropical countries also battle poverty and many kinds of health issues. The tropical rainfotests, facing tremendous degradation, act as the lungs of our planet. On International Day of Tropics, the United Nations (UN) bodies, non-profits, governments and other stakeholders come together to discuss ways and means to counter the threats faced by the tropics.
What are the Tropics?
We often refer to the 'tropics' or 'tropical regions' but do we exactly know which part of our earth it exactly covers? The tropics are essentially the regions that lie roughly in the middle of the globe. The tropics include the Equator and parts of North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia (below the Tropic of Cancer and above the Tropic of Capricorn). The tropics cover around 36 per cent of the Earth's landmass.
The tropical regions are warm throughout the year as they get more sun light and one does not experience seasons like the spiring and autumn. The tropics generally have a wet and a dry season. Most tropical regions get very heavy rainfall but there are tropical deserts like the Sahara, which get only 2-10 centimeter rain in a year.
International Day of Tropics: Know the background
The International Day of Tropics is marked on June 29 as on that day in 2014, the inaugural State of the Tropics Report was launched. The report gives a "unique perspective" on the tripics and the increasing importance of this part of the globe. "Marking the anniversary of the report's launch the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring June 29 of each year as the International Day of the Tropics."
International Day of Tropics: 5 Important facts
- Biodiversity is greater in the Tropics
- They host 95% of the world's mangrove forests by area
- They have 54% of the world's renewable water resources, yet almost half their population is considered vulnerable to water stress.
- The Tropics account for 40 per cent of Earth's surface area
- Humans have wiped out or degraded nearly two-thirds of the world's tropical rainforests: UN Biodiversity