Earth Today | ‘Our land, our future’

WORLD ENVIRONMENT Day nears and with it a focus on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience, with the theme ‘Our Land, Our Future. We are #GenerationRestoration’.

Celebrations for the observance take place on June 5, with this year’s host, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) having already launched campaigns.

”We are the first generation to now fully understand the immense threats to the land – and might be the last one with a chance to reverse the course of destruction. Our priority now must be on restoring ecosystems – on replanting our forests, on rewetting our marshes, on reviving our soils,” noted Elizabeth Mrema, deputy executive director of UNEP, in an April 28 release from the UNEP.

“Now is the time to act on commitments to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation,” she added.

Mrema was speaking at the recent launch of the global campaign at a Saudi Environment Week event in Riyadh.

According to the UNEP, the two campaigns launched look at leadership in restoring land and “put the spotlight on the Kingdom’s commitments at home and across the region to combat climate change by regreening and rewilding huge swathes of arid and semi-arid lands”.

This World Environment Day, countries are encouraged to give attention to restoration, given the pressing realities of the triple planetary crisis of pollution, nature loss and climate change.

Climate change, for example, is of particular concern when looked at in the context of this year’s focus for the day’s celebrations since it threatens extreme weather events, including droughts.

With the human consumption of fossil fuels has come the accelerated warming of the planet, which has, in turn, triggered the range of impacts now being felt and/or which is otherwise projected to take place.

These include not only extreme drought, but also extreme hurricanes, sea level rise and coastal erosion, as well as impaired public health and undermined freshwater security. At the same time, the challenges of climate change are compounded by pollution and loss of ecosystems.

“Globally, countries have pledged to restore one billion hectares of land – an area larger than China – by protecting 30 per cent of land and sea for nature and restoring 30 per cent of the planet’s degraded ecosystems,” the UNEP release noted.

“Championing the 2030 agenda of shifting the world onto a sustainable and resilient path and joining forces to protect people and planet, World Environment Day 2024 will contribute to building momentum for climate action by rallying support for vital ecosystems restoration work.”

World Environment Day is among the largest global platforms for environmental outreach. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972.

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