World Environment Day 2024: Date, Theme, Host Country, History, Significance & More
World Environment Day 2024
World Environment Day on June 5th issues an urgent call to action – urging all individuals to safeguard our natural habitats. Behind staggering facts lies a harsh reality – over 7 million people die annually from air pollution, predominantly in Asia-Pacific. This day fuels global activism addressing issues from littering to climate change, serving as a pivotal outreach platform.
World Environment Day 2024 Date
Fall on June 5th annually, World Environment Day spotlights the critical need to preserve our shared home for future generations, recognizing our true habitat extends far beyond our homes.
China’s Pivotal Leadership and Influence
In 2019, China with half the world’s electric vehicles and 99% of its electric buses, hosted the event. Noting China’s domestic air quality progress, a UN Environment leader remarked, “It can now spur greater global action.” Since its 1972 UN inception, World Environment Day has become a crucial global calendar date.
World Environment Day Theme 2024
The theme selected for World Environment Day in 2024 is “Land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience”.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host World Environment Day 2024 with a focus on land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience. Land restoration is a key pillar of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world, which is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
History of World Environment Day
World Environment Day’s unique history includes many firsts. Proposed by Sweden in 1968 for a conference on humanity’s environmental impact, it unfolded in 1972 after 4 years of planning and a $30 million investment, led by Canadian Maurice Strong. The 1974 inaugural event with the slogan “Only One Earth” marked a new global movement.
Mainstream Acceptance in Culture
Since its birth, World Environment Day has penetrated mainstream culture. Figures like DiCaprio and Streep champion its messages through entertainment, while people worldwide unite to preserve nature through outdoor activities.
Significance of World Environment Day
Reconnecting with Nature
It fosters a deeper appreciation of nature’s intricate role in human well-being by encouraging exploring parks and celebrating our bond.
Raising Awareness
It plays a crucial awareness-building role – educating networks on Earth’s fragile, indispensable resources.
Driving Action
By spotlighting issues degrading our air, land, and water, it motivates collaborative efforts to address threats to our survival.
In conclusion, World Environment Day annually reminds us of our collective duty to protect the planet, celebrating progress while compelling meaningful actions to preserve nature for future generations.
Why is World Environment Day celebrated?
It is necessary to address environmental issues like deforestation, increasing global warming, wastage and losses of food, pollution etc. Throughout the world, several campaigns are organised with a particular theme and slogan to bring effectiveness around the world.
This day is celebrated to successfully get carbon neutrality, reduce greenhouse effects, focus on forest management, planting on degraded lands, energy production through solar sources, promote coral reefs and mangroves, develop new drainage systems etc.
A study conducted by Ellen McArthur Foundation in 2015 says that about 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste has been generated in the world so far, and around 90% of this will not decompose for at least 500 years. Micro-plastic or tiny fragments have been found in soil, tap water, bottled water, beer and even in the air we breathe, according to scientists.
Objectives behind celebrating World Environment Day
World Environment Day is celebrated to spread awareness among common people about the issues of the environment.
Encourage common people from different societies and communities to actively participate in the celebration as well as become active agents in developing environmental safety measures.
Encourage people to make their nearby surroundings safe and clean to enjoy a safer, cleaner and more prosperous future.
Some facts about Plastics
- Plastic harms marine life and poses a threat to human health.
- A large part of the population depends upon Plastic for their daily use. Do you know nearly one-third of it is not disposed of properly and ends up clogging drains and choking the environment?
- Plastics can persist in the environment for nearly a thousand years before it fully disintegrates.
- Plastics are non-renewable and their manufacture and destruction expose individuals and the environment to many toxins, including carcinogens.
- Plastics make up ten per cent of the total waste generated; half of it is used in a disposable or single-use.
- We use 50 per cent of the plastic in disposable form or for single-use.
- Plastic is hazardous to both animals and humans.
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