World Environment Day

World Environment Day is a yearly celebration held on 5th June to acknowledge the importance of the environment and to encourage positive action to protect it.[1] The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) runs the yearly event. Each year has a particular theme to encourage involvement and to focus attention on specific issues.

World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated in over 100 countries.[1]

The WED had its origins in 1972, and was established by the UN General Assembly on the starting day of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, making it an anniversary celebration of the Stockholm Conference as well.[2]

The WED gives a wide range of people the opportunity to do something in honour of the day, from governments and corporations to community groups and individuals. Activities associated with the theme actually occur throughout the year of the theme, but the 5th of June serves as the climactic point for the celebrations, providing a highlight opportunity.[3] The aim is to not only recognise personal responsibility but to also be empowered as agents for change to do something positive about environmental protection, sustainability and poverty alleviation.[3]

When

Jun 5, 2020, Fri

Some ideas for how to celebrate World Environment Day

You can celebrate the day in various ways, using your own interests, talents and connections to increase awareness of the need to care for the environment that sustains all of us. Some examples include sports, arts and crafts, film, music and dance, and education and learning.[4]

If you're in a host country or city, there will likely be additional celebration events planned by the local municipality, national government and other entities. Find out what they're doing by checking their websites or contacting them directly via email, Facebook, etc.

It is also suggested that you look on the UNEP site for a toolkit, usually in PDF form, that sets out ways to celebrate the particular theme for the year.

Yearly themes for World Environment Day

World Environment Day celebration themes are as follows:[6][7]

Year Theme Host city
1974Only One Earth (Planet)Spokane, United States
1975Human SettlementsDhaka, Bangladesh
1976Water: Vital Resource for LifeCanada
1977Ozone Layer Environmental Concern; Lands Loss and Soil DegradationSylhet, Bangladesh
1978Development Without DestructionSylhet, Bangladesh
1979Only One Future for Our Children – Development Without DestructionSylhet, Bangladesh
1980A New Challenge for the New Decade: Development Without DestructionSylhet, Bangladesh
1981Ground Water; Toxic Chemicals in Human Food ChainsSylhet, Bangladesh
1982Ten Years After Stockholm (Renewal of Environmental Concerns)Dhaka, Bangladesh
1983Managing and Disposing of Hazardous Waste: Acid Rain and EnergySylhet, Bangladesh
1984DesertificationRajshahi, Bangladesh
1985Youth: Population and the EnvironmentPakistan
1986A Tree for PeaceOntario, Canada
1987Environment and Shelter: More Than A RoofNairobi, Kenya
1988When People Put the Environment First, Development Will LastBangkok, Thailand
1989Global Warming; Global WarningBrussels, Belgium
1990Children and the EnvironmentMexico City, Mexico
1991Climate Change. Need for Global PartnershipStockholm, Sweden
1992Only One Earth, Care and ShareRio de Janeiro, Brazil
1993Poverty and the Environment – Breaking the Vicious CircleBeijing, People's Republic of China
1994One Earth One FamilyLondon, United Kingdom
1995We the Peoples: United for the Global EnvironmentPretoria, South Africa
1996Our Earth, Our Habitat, Our HomeIstanbul, Turkey
1997For Life on EarthSeoul, Republic of Korea
1998For Life on Earth – Save Our SeasMoscow, Russian Federation
1999Our Earth – Our Future – Just Save It!Tokyo, Japan
2000The Environment Millennium – Time to ActAdelaide, Australia
2001Connect with the World Wide Web of LifeTorino, Italy and Havana, Cuba
2002Give Earth a ChanceShenzhen, People's Republic of China
2003Water – Two Billion People are Dying for It!Beirut, Lebanon
2004Wanted! Seas and Oceans – Dead or Alive?Barcelona, Spain
2005Green Cities – Plan for the Planet!San Francisco, United States
2006Deserts and Desertification – Don't Desert Drylands!Algiers, Algeria
2007Melting Ice – a Hot Topic?London, England
2008Kick The Habit – Towards A Low Carbon EconomyWellington, New Zealand
2009Your Planet Needs You – Unite to Combat Climate ChangeMexico City, Mexico
2010Many Species. One Planet. One FutureRangpur, Bangladesh
2011Forests: Nature at your ServiceNew Delhi, India
2012Green Economy: Does it include you?Brazil
2013Think.Eat.Save. Reduce Your FoodprintMongolia
2014Raise Your Voice, Not the Sea LevelBarbados
2015Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care.Italy
2016Join the Race to Make the World a Better Place.Saudi Arabia
2017'Connecting People to Nature – in the city and on the land, from the poles to the equator'.Canada
2018"Beat Plastic Pollution".India
2019#BeatAirPollutionChina
2020BiodiversityColombia

See also

Sources and citations

  1. 1 2 http://www.unep.org/wed/about.asp
  2. ↑ http://humantouchofchemistry.com/celebrating-world-environment-day.htm
  3. 1 2 http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/resources/w/worldenvironmentday.asp
  4. ↑ http://www.unep.org/wed/take-action/find-out-how.asp
  5. ↑ http://www.unep.org/wed/take-action/WED-A-Z.asp
  6. ↑ World Environment Day 5 June 2008 – UNEP, accessed 6 June 2008
  7. ↑ Table taken from Wikipedia, at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Environment_Day


This article is issued from Appropedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.