Amid Covid-19 lockdown, the World Environment Day 2020 is being celebrated on 5 June across the globe.
Theme
- This year, the theme is ‘Time of Nature’ which focuses on biodiversity – a concern that is both urgent and existential.
- Recent events, from bushfires in Brazil, the United States, and Australia to locust infestations across East Africa – and now, a global disease pandemic – demonstrate the interdependence of humans and the webs of life, in which they exist, says UN.
India and World Environment Day 2020
- Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change is celebrating this day with focus on Nagar Van (Urban Forests).
- India though having less land mass and more human and cattle population has nearly 8 percent of biodiversity. The country is endowed with rich biodiversity having several species of animals and plants and hosts 4 of the 35 global bio-diversity hotspots containing several endemic species.
- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change relaunched a scheme for creating urban forest in 200 corporations and cities because all these cities have gardens but not forest. The urban forest will help in creating and enhancing the lung capacities of these cities.
- The Wajre Urban Forest in Pune is a role model for the rest of the country.
Do You Know
- Biodiversity involves 8 million plant and animal species, the ecosystems that house them, and the genetic diversity among them.
- In the last 150 years, the live coral reef cover has been reduced by half.
- Within the next 10 years, one out of every four known species may have been wiped off the planet.
- It would take 1.6 Earths to meet the demands that humans make on nature each year.
About World Environment Day
- The year 1972 marked a turning point in the development of international environmental politics: the first major conference on environmental issues, convened under the auspices of the United Nations, was held from June 5-16 in Stockholm (Sweden).
- Known as the Conference on the Human Environment, or the Stockholm Conference, its goal was to forge a basic common outlook on how to address the challenge of preserving and enhancing the human environment.
- Later that year, on 15 December, the General Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/2994 (XXVII)) designating June 5 as World Environment Day.
- The date coincides with the first day of the landmark Conference.
Source: UNEP
