‘RESTORE EARTH’

WORLD Environment Day (WED) takes place every year on June 5. It is the United Nations’ leading day for promoting worldwide awareness and action for the environment. Over the years, it has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental public outreach and is celebrated by millions of people across the world.

This year’s observance of World Environment Day will be on the theme of ‘Ecosystem Restoration’ and focus on resetting our relationship with nature. It will also mark the formal launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021 – 2030.
Pakistan to host WED 2021

Led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Government of Pakistan – in one of the world’s most ambitious afforestation efforts – plans to expand and restore the country’s forests through a 10-Billion Tree Tsunami spread over five years. The campaign includes restoring mangroves and forests, as well as planting trees in urban settings, including schools, colleges, public parks and green belts. Pakistan has launched an Ecosystem Restoration Fund to support nature-based solutions to climate change and facilitate the transition towards environmentally resilient, ecologically targeted initiatives covering afforestation and biodiversity conservation.

Recently, the Prime Minister of Pakistan launched the Protected Area Initiative to develop 15 model protected areas across the country to conserve over 7300 sq km of land area and create over 5,500 green jobs.

Do you know which sport the Pakistani PM is famous for?

Ecosystem Restoration Decade
Ecosystems support all life on Earth. The healthier our ecosystems are, the healthier the planet – and its people. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration aims to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. It can help to end poverty, combat climate change and prevent mass extinction. It will only succeed if everyone plays a part.

The UN Decade is intended to massively scale up the restoration of degraded and destroyed ecosystems to fight the climate crisis, prevent the loss of a million species and enhance food security, water supplies and livelihoods.

World Environment Day is a once-a-year activity; however, it doesn’t mean that we should only pay attention to the environment on that one day. Irrespective of the day, organisation, event, country, theme — preserving nature is our responsibility.

1. Bring a change in your lifestyle. See how we can live better with nature, and make little alterations in our day-to-day lives.
2. Educate other people. This is not a fight we can win alone; even if we can create awareness for a small minority of people, it can create a world of difference.
3. Respect biodiversity & nature. Biodiversity plays an important role in offering ecological services that make life livable on Earth. Each species, no matter how big or small, has a mind-boggling impact on the ecosystem.
4. Ensure that your business is authorised and in compliance with all environmental regulations.
5. Support local conservation efforts

This is our moment.
We cannot turn back time. But we can grow trees, green our cities, rewild our gardens, change our diets and clean up rivers and coasts. We are the generation that can make peace with nature. Let’s get active, not anxious.

This World Environment Day, join #GenerationRestoration to revive and protect our ecosystems.
Do you know which of the Sustainable Development Goals does the Ecosystem Decade support?

For more information on WED visit https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/
https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/pakistan-host-world-environment-day-2021
https://medium.com/climate-conscious/pakistan-to-host-world-environment-day-2021-3ca161a72de4

Remember to pick up a copy of the newspapers on Saturday, June 5 to learn more about EPA’s World Environment Day and upcoming anniversary.

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.