WORLD
ENVIRONMENT DAY
In 1972, the UN General Assembly
designated 5
June as World Environment Day (WED).
The first celebration, under the slogan “Only
One Earth” took place in
1974. In the following years, WED has developed as a platform to raise
awareness on the problems facing our environment such as air pollution,
plastic pollution, illegal wildlife trade, sustainable consumption, sea-level
increase, and food security, among others. Furthermore, WED helps drive
change in consumption patterns and in national and international environmental
policy.
Ecosystem restoration means assisting in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact. Healthier ecosystems, with richer biodiversity, yield greater benefits such as more fertile soils, bigger yields of timber and fish, and larger stores of greenhouse gases.
Restoration can happen in many ways – for example through actively planting or by removing pressures so that nature can recover on its own. It is not always possible – or desirable – to return an ecosystem to its original state. We still need farmland and infrastructure on land that was once forest, for instance, and ecosystems, like societies, need to adapt to a changing climate.
Between now and 2030, the restoration of 350 million hectares of degraded terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems could generate US$9 trillion in ecosystem services. Restoration could also remove 13 to 26 gigatons of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. The economic benefits of such interventions exceed nine times the cost of investment, whereas inaction is at least three times more costly than ecosystem restoration.
All kinds of ecosystems can be restored, including forests, farmlands, cities, wetlands and oceans. Restoration initiatives can be launched by almost anyone, from governments and development agencies to businesses, communities and individuals. That is because the causes of degradation are many and varied, and can have an impact at different scales.
2021 Host Country: Pakistan
Every World Environment Day is hosted by a different country, in which official celebrations take place, and this year’s host is Pakistan.
UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030)
The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration following a proposal and resolution for action by over 70 countries from all latitudes. It is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world, for the benefit of people and nature. It aims to halt the degradation of ecosystems, and restore them to achieve global goals. Only with healthy ecosystems can we enhance people’s livelihoods, counteract climate change, and stop the collapse of biodiversity.
The UN Decade runs from 2021 through 2030, which is also the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals and the timeline scientists have identified as the last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change.
Restoring ecosystems means protecting their biodiversity and helping them to deliver benefits for people and nature. It means using ecosystems on land and in the oceans in ways that strengthen their natural resources and processes. Actions for restoration can also mean preventing degradation or reducing its extent.
On World Environment Day, we can take action and join Generation Restoration. There are three pathways to join the movement and improve the well-being of people and nature: taking action; making smart choices; and raising your voice for restoration.
Why not set off along one – or all – of these path-ways on World Environment Day? It could mark the start of our ambitious multi-year restoration, the day we kick un-sustainable products out of our lives.
Regards
Environment Section
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