The International Day of the Tropics celebrates and recognizes the tropic’s diversity and the land’s capacity. The tropics are the area between the tropic of Capricorn and the tropic of Cancer. The region consists of mostly nature, it rains at the tropics more than anywhere else in the world, and the tropics consist of about 40% of the earth’s surface. It’s celebrated every year on June 29th.

What are Tropics?

Tropics is the earth region between Tropic of Cancer (23.5N) and Tropic of Capricorn (23.5S). These regions are usually dry and hot, and also it meets daily temperature little seasonal change. Even the local topography and other factors contribute to the region’s climate change.

The tropics lie between the tropics of Capricorn and tropic of Cancer. The tropics, as a region, covers 40% of the total area of the world which is one-third of the world and host some 80 percent of the biodiversity of our planet. The Tropics host nearly 95% of the world’s mangrove forests by area and 99% of mangrove species. The Tropics have just over half of the world’s renewable water resources (54%), yet almost half their population is considered vulnerable to water scarcity. Biodiversity is more substantial in the Tropics – however, loss of biodiversity is also substantial in the Tropics than in the rest of the world. Diverse and healthy natural ecosystems provide benefits vital for life on Earth and human well-being and prosperity

A significant amount of the cultural and language diversity in the region has also happened. The developing countries have made significant strides, but in the field of sustainable development the developing region still faces various challenges. The regions are mainly natural. 

History of International Day of Tropics:

The James Cook University of Australia in collaboration with 11 other research institutions, submitted first `State of Tropics Report` On 29 June 2014. The report looked at several environmental, social and Economic issues to understand. United Nations General Assembly declared 29 June as the International Day of the Tropics in 2016, recognizing that this region is home to over 1.7 billion people who survive in harsh climatic conditions. The creation of this day was based on the 2014 State of the Tropics report, which highlighted the challenges faced by people living in this region, such as poverty, disease, environmental degradation, and climate change. The UN General Assembly adopted Resolution A / RES/70/267 in 2016 marking the anniversary of the launch of the study and announced that 29 June should be observed each year as International Day of the Tropics.

Importance of International Day of Tropics:

The international Day of the Tropics is yearly observed for the following purposes:

1.     The International Day of the Tropics aims to boost awareness of the issues faced by the people living in the tropics and to encourage collaborations between countries in the tropics to find solutions to these issues. This day also provides an opportunity to highlight the unique and rich cultural and biological diversity of the region.

2.     To raise awareness of and underline the important role those tropical countries will play in achieving the sustainable development goals.

3.     The tropics are home to some of the most iconic and diverse wildlife on earth, including the great Amazon rainforest, home to the world's largest range of plant and animal species. These plant and animal species are essential to the food security and livelihoods of millions of people who rely on them.

About the Author: Muhammad Urs is a student of Environmental Science (final year) in University of Sindh, Pakistan and a climate activist