The international day of the tropics is annually observed on 29th June. The international day of the tropics main purpose to raise awareness of the specific and unique challenges faced by tropical areas and affecting the world tropical zone. It also a day to celebrate the extraordinary diversity of the tropics.

Tropics refers to the regions between the Tropic of cancer (23.4o north of the Equator) and Tropic of Capricorn (23.4o south of the Equator). These are also known as torrid zones which are basically subpolar points where the sun is directly overhead. The Tropics account for 36 percent of the Earth’s landmass. It includes the Equator and parts of North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. This region is warm all year round. The temperature in the Tropics ranges from 77 to 82 degrees F. The Tropics get a lot of sun and only have two seasons: the wet season and dry season.

This difference in precipitation affects which plants and animals live in the different parts of the Tropics. The Tropics are important because of the number of economic exports come from these regions. Also, about 40 percent of the world’s population lives within the tropical zone.

Biodiversity

While biodiversity is greater in the Tropics, the loss of biodiversity is also greater here than in the rest of the world. This loss of biodiversity is partly attributed to human activity, such as:

  • Destruction of forests and marine ecosystems
  • Overexploitation of industrial fishing fleets and commercial hunters
  • Spread of diseases and invasive species
  • Growing impacts of climate change

Because of these issues, many species of plants and animals in the Tropics face the loss of their habitats. They are also vulnerable to becoming endangered. Humans living in the Tropics face many challenges as well. More people experience underfed and hungry in the Tropics than anywhere in the world. This is consistent with the higher levels of poverty in these regions. Also, more people live in slums in the Tropics than in the rest of the world.

How To Observe #Internationaldayofthetropics

On this day, conservation organizations and concerned groups for the Tropics hold informational seminars, workshops, and presentations. To participate: Learn more about the Tropics and the threaten these regions face. 

International Day Of The Tropics History

On June 14th, 2016, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that declared June 29th as the International Day of the Tropics. The UN chose the date June 29th to mark the anniversary of the inaugural “State of Tropics Report.” The report was launched in 2014 by Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from Myanmar

 

Keywords: Tropics, Tropical Rainforest, Tropical

 

About the Author: Hajra Ashfaq is doing BS In Environmental Science from GCWUS. She is also a green blogger and an executive member of marketing team of “The Earth Needs Love”