Basseterre, St. Kitts, June 30, 2021 (SKNIS): An official within the Department of Environment highlighted on the June 30 edition of Working for You that World Environment Day, which is celebrated on June 05 annually, was implemented to encourage worldwide awareness and action for the protection of the environment.
“World Environment Day that is celebrated around the world focuses on ways in which we can really help or protect the environment,” said Derionne Edmeade, Environmental Education Officer.
According to the United Nations, the celebration of World Environment Day provides countries with an opportunity to broaden the basis for an enlightened opinion and responsible conduct by individuals, enterprises, and communities in preserving and enhancing the environment.
This year’s observance was held under the global theme “Ecosystem Restoration” with a focus on restoring our relationship with nature.
“When we hear ecosystem it refers to the living and non-living things in an environment and how they interact but when we speak to restoration we are dealing with returning something to a place or condition that it was prior,” said Mr. Edmeade. “So, when we put the two terms together we are talking about restoring the environment to a place, state of condition that makes it easier for us to live.”
World Environment Day 2021, also paved the way for the formal launch of the United Nations (UN) Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030, a global mission to revive billions of hectares, from forests to farmlands, from the top of mountains to the depth of the sea.
“The intent is to scale up the restoration on the degraded and destroyed ecosystems to fight the climate crisis. It is deemed to prevent the loss of millions of species and enhance security, water supply and livelihoods,” said the Environmental Education Officer.
Ecosystem restoration can take many forms including growing trees, greening cities, rewilding gardens, changing diets, or cleaning up rivers and coasts. This is the generation that can make peace with nature.
