International Days
Annually, international days and weeks are marked to educate the public and mobilise political will to address global problems. Though the existence of international days predates the establishment of the United Nations, but they have become powerful advocacy tool for the United Nations and other stakeholders.
World Environment Day
On the other word, in 1972, the UN General Assembly designated 5th day of the month of June as World Environment Day (WED), with the first celebration in 1974, under the slogan “Only One Earth.” Nowadays, the World Environment Day has become a huge platform worldwide 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.
WED 2021 Theme: Ecosystem Restoration
The theme for World Environment Day 2021 is “Ecosystem Restoration” and will see the virtual launch gala of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The event will include inspiring messages from world leaders, activists, celebrities, and musical performances as well as Pakistan’s host country.s programme. We must make this decade “Decade of Hope.” We have ten good years to heal the planet.
What is Ecosystem Restoration?
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.
On thing is clear, it is not always possible – or desirable – to return an ecosystem to its original state but we all need to put our hands together to do the much we can do. However, inaction is at least three times more costly than ecosystem restoration.
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.
Restoration initiatives is not limited to the governmentn and development agencies only, it can be launched by businesses, communities and individuals.
More on Ecosystem Restoration > www.decadeonrestoration.org
REIMAGINE. RECREATE. RESTORE. Campaign
For too long, we have been exploiting and destroying our planet’s ecosystems. Forests and wetlands have been destroyed, and as much as 50 per cent of our coral reefs have already been lost ,
Ecosystem loss is depriving the world of carbon sinks as global greenhouse gas emissions have grown for three consecutive years and the planet is one pace for potentially catastrophic climate change. The emergence of COVID-19 has also shown just how disastrous the consequences of ecosystem loss can be.
With this big and challenging picture, the World Environment Day is focused in the ecosystem restoration and its theme is “Reimagine. Recreate.Restore.”
World Environment Day 2021, with Pakistan as the host country for its official celebrations, calls for urgent action to revive our damaged ecosystems.
Ecosystem restoration is a global undertaking at massive scale:
- It means repairing billions of hectares of land – an area greater than China or the USA – so that people have access to food, clean water and jobs.
- It means bringing back plants and animals from the brink of extinction, from the peaks of mountains to the depths of the sea.
- It also includes the many small actions everyone can take, every day: growing trees, greening our cities, rewilding our gardens or cleaning up trash alongside rivers and coasts.
Restoring ecosystems carries substantial benefits for people:
- For every dollar invested in restoration, at least seven to thirty dollars in returns for society can be expected
- Restoration also creates jobs in rural areas where they are most needed.
- Some countries have already invested in restoration as part of their strategies to bounce back from COVID-19.
- Others are turning to restoration to help them adapt to a climate that is already changing.
Join #GenerationRestoration
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. Let’s be bold, not timid.
Join #GenerationRestoration
It is time for action by joining the #GenerationRestoration movement through the official website of World Environment Day 2021. You can access more interesting information about ecosystems, the actions you can carry out to contribute to their restoration, as well as a large number of materials to promote the movement through social media. Every performance, no matter how small, matters.
Ecosystem Restoration Playbook
UNEP has published a practical guide to ecosystem restoration that provides an introduction to the range of actions that can slow and halt the degradation of ecosystems and foster their recovery.
For more on World Environment Day > http://www.worldenvironmentday.global
