The Tropics are a region of the Earth, roughly defined as the area between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. Although topography and other factors contribute to
climatic variation, tropical locations are typically warm and experience little seasonal change in day-to-day temperature. An important feature of the Tropics is the prevalence of rain in the moist inner regions near the equator, and that the seasonality of rainfall increases with the distance from the equator. The Tropics account for 40 per cent of the world’s total surface area and are host to approximately 80 per cent of the world’s biodiversity and much of its language and cultural diversity. The tropical region faces a number of challenges such as climate change, deforestation, logging, urbanisation and demographic changes.
Background
The United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/70/267 on 14 June
2016, which declared that 29 June of each year is to be observed as the International Day
of the Tropics. Tropical nations have made significant progress, but face a variety of challenges that demand focused attention across a range of development indicators and data in order to achieve sustainable development.
The international Day of the Tropics was designated to raise awareness to the specific
challenges faced by tropical areas, the far-reaching implications of the issues affecting
the world’s tropical zone and the need, at all levels, to raise awareness and to underline
the important role that countries in the tropics will play in achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals .