Why do we celebrate World Environment Day?
Awareness is one among the key
factor for management of Increasing environmental issues. At times, lack of
information on various environmental aspects amongst people make them
responsible for unknowingly and indirect contributor of pollution which in long
term results in impacts on their lives as well.
United Nations identify spreading
Awareness as a principal vehicle for protection of Environment. Since year 1974
World Environment Day is being celebrated across the world on 5th June to
encourage awareness on Environment. Every year United Nation selects a
different theme related with environmental issues for encourage awareness. It
is being hosted by different countries every year.
When India Hosted "World Environment day"
In India it was hosted in year 2018 under a
theme " Beat Plastic Pollution". There were various steps taken after
that. Prime Minister of India "Sri Narendra Modi" appealed the people
to avoid using single use plastic. Government is planning to phase out
single-use plastics by 2022.
Who will Host World environment Day in Year 2020?
Colombia will host 2020 World
Environment Day in partnership with Germany and it will focus on biodiversity
History
Conference on the Human Environment
was held in June 5-16 (year 1972) in Sweden. This conference is known as
turning point for International Environmental Politics where developed
countries and developing countries came on same platform and identified the
Environment as a global and common cause. The basic agenda was to address the
challenge of preserving and enhancing the human Environment.
on 15th December 1972, the
general Assembly of United Nation adopted a resolution by designating June 5 as
World Environment Day. Since the Conference
was started from 5th June hence the date coincides with the first day of the
landmark Conference Two years later, in 1974 the first WED was held with the
theme "Only One Earth". Even though WED celebration have been held
annually since 1974, in 1987 the idea for rotating the centre of these
activities through selecting different host countries began.
Since the first celebration in
1974, the World Environment Day has helped UNEP to raise awareness and generate
political momentum around growing concerns such as the depletion of the ozone
layer, toxic chemicals, desertification and global warming. The Day has
developed into a global platform for taking action on urgent environmental
issues. Millions of people have taken part over the years, helping drive change
in our consumption habits, as well as in national and international
environmental policy.
Annual themes identified by United Nation for World Environment Day in past
years;
S.NO Year Theme Host city 1 1974 Only one Earth during Expo '74 Spokane, United States 2 1975 Human Settlements Dhaka, Bangladesh 3 1976 Water: Vital Resource for Life Ontario, Canada 4 1977 Ozone Layer Environmental Concern; Lands Loss and Soil Degradation Sylhet, Bangladesh 5 1978 Development Without Destruction Sylhet, Bangladesh 6 1979 Only One Future for Our Children – Development Without Destruction Sylhet, Bangladesh 7 1980 A New Challenge for the New Decade: Development Without Destruction Sylhet, Bangladesh 8 1981 Ground Water; Toxic Chemicals in Human Food Chains Sylhet, Bangladesh 9 1982 Ten Years After Stockholm (Renewal of Environmental Concerns) Dhaka, Bangladesh 10 1983 Managing and Disposing Hazardous Waste: Acid Rain and Energy Sylhet, Bangladesh 11 1984 Desertification Rajshahi, Bangladesh 12 1985 Youth: Population and the Environment Islamabad, Pakistan 13 1986 A Tree for Peace Ontario, Canada 14 1987 Environment and Shelter: More Than A Roof Nairobi, Kenya 15 1988 When People Put the Environment First, Development Will Last Bangkok, Thailand 16 1989 Global Warming; Global Warning Brussels, Belgium 17 1990 Children and the Environment Mexico City, Mexico 18 1991 Climate Change. Need for Global Partnership Stockholm, Sweden 19 1992 Only One Earth, Care and Share Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 20 1993 Poverty and the Environment – Breaking the Vicious Circle Beijing, People's Republic of China 21 1994 One Earth One Family London, United Kingdom 22 1995 We the Peoples: United for the Global Environment Pretoria, South Africa 23 1996 Our Earth, Our Habitat, Our Home Istanbul, Turkey 24 1997 For Life on Earth Seoul, Republic of Korea 25 1998 For Life on Earth – Save Our Seas Moscow, Russian Federation 26 1999 Our Earth – Our Future – Just Save It! Tokyo, Japan 27 2000 The Environment Millennium – Time to Act Adelaide, Australia 28 2001 Connect with the World Wide Web of Life Torino, Italy and Havana, Cuba 29 2002 Give Earth a Chance Shenzhen, People's Republic of China 30 2003 Water – Two Billion People are Dying for It! Beirut, Lebanon 31 2004 Wanted! Seas and Oceans – Dead or Alive? Barcelona, Spain 32 2005 Green Cities – Plan for the Planet! San Francisco, United States 33 2006 Deserts and Desertification – Don't Desert Drylands! Algiers, Algeria 34 2007 Melting Ice – a Hot Topic? London, England 35 2008 Kick the Habit – Towards A Low Carbon Economy Wellington, New Zealand 36 2009 Your Planet Needs You – Unite to Combat Climate Change Mexico City, Mexico 37 2010 Many Species. One Planet. One Future Rangpur, Bangladesh 38 2011 Forests: Nature at your Service New Delhi, India 39 2012 Green Economy: Does it include you? Brasilia, Brazil 40 2013 Think.Eat.Save. Reduce Your Footprint Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 41 2014 Raise your voice, not the sea level Bridgetown, Barbados 42 2015 Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care. Rome, Italy 43 2016 Zero Tolerance for the Illegal Wildlife trade Luanda, Angola 44 2017 Connecting People to Nature – in the city and on the land, from the poles to the equator Ottawa, Canada 45 2018 Beat Plastic Pollution New Delhi, India 46 2019 Beat Air Pollution China
Author: @theearthview@gmail.com