When Leonardo spoke about saving Earth in his 2016 Oscar speech, we were expecting a plurry of efforts and movements from all over the world in the wake of saving planet Earth. But nothing of all that sort happened!
Making the world a better place is a continuous quest and this year as World Environment Day nears, the United Nations takes up the project #GenerationRestoration. The international organization focuses on land restoration, halting desertification and building drought resilience to overcome the environmental crises.
There’s no denying we need a robust plan of action to overcome the threats that our Mother Earth faces. And of course, every individual effort counts. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the facts relating to the Day.
What Is World Environment Day?
This UN International Day is dedicated to environmental public outreach. The day encourages worldwide awareness about conserving natural resources and protecting the planet Earth. Moreover, it’s a global platform for raising awareness about the pressing problems harming our environment such as global warming, pollution, deforestation, etc.
Who Founded It?
World Environment Day was founded by the United Nations General Assembly for the preservation and enhancement of the environment. It’s led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the global authority focusing on climate, nature, pollution and more. The organization that celebrated its 51st anniversary last year has been a leading advocate of environmental development.
Did You Know?
It takes around 1,000 years to generate 3 centimeters of topsoil. However, as per the United Nations, the equivalent of one football field of earth erodes every 5 seconds.
When Was World Environment Day Celebrated For The First Time?
This momentous day was celebrated for the first time in 1973 in Switzerland. The theme of the day that year was ‘Only One Earth’. The second celebration, which was held in the United States, had the same theme. Indeed, it added to the urgency of the much needed public awareness about the various dangers surrounding the planet.
Why Is It Held On June 5?
1972 marked the first major conference on environmental issues that was held in Stockholm (Sweden) from June 5-16. It’s known as the Conference on the Human Environment, or the Stockholm Conference. The goal of this conference was to establish a basic common outlook on promoting environmental action. On December 5, 1972, the General Assembly designated June 5 as World Environment Day to commemorate the landmark conference.
Which Countries Celebrate World Environment Day?
This international day is celebrated by people from more than 150 countries, including Germany, India and Israel, among others. Moreover, major corporations, communities, non-governmental organizations and celebrities also mark and support this crucial day to fight against environmental causes.
Did You Know?
Brazil, Canada, China, the Russian Federation and the United States of America cover more than half of the world’s forests.
What’s The Theme & Slogan Of The 2024 World Environment Day?
The theme of the big day this year is land restoration, halting desertification and building drought resilience, under the slogan ‘Our Land. Our Future. We are #GenerationRestoration’. 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). So, raising global awareness about desertification this year will be a pivotal moment in the history of UNCCD. Halting desertification will be a boon for our planet.
According to the UNCCD, up to 40% of earth’s land is degraded. For perspective, that percentage directly affects half of the world’s population. The continuous expansion of deserts is a terrible environmental crisis that we need to deal with.
Which Is The Host Country?
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be hosting the global celebrations of the important day this year. Saudi Arabia is deeply invested into combating climate change by regreening and rewilding its arid and semi-arid lands. The host country changes every year so that different nations can showcase their vision for environmental sustainability. For instance, Canada hosted the 2017 World Environment Day with the theme ‘I’m With Nature’.
Save The Planet
A lot of issues are haunting our planet, from land degradation, desertification and drought to climate change. Saving the planet should be the duty of not only the United Nations but also every human being. While the organization is doing its bit every day, we need to do our part in conserving the environment.
It’s about time we adopted a minimalistic lifestyle that focuses on only the things that we need. We can make a huge difference in bringing positive changes to the environment by reducing our carbon footprint. Cycling to work, eating a healthy and balanced diet and not wasting food, reducing electricity usage, installing solar panels, recycling the things that are no longer needed are some of the ways to reduce your carbon footprint.
Moreover, this World Environment Day, you can encourage people around you to live a sustainable lifestyle for the betterment of the planet. For instance, giving up on plastic use, growing trees, volunteering for cleanups and picking sustainable fashion, etc. Remember that we need to take care of our environment and its species before time eventually runs out.
