World Environment Day 2017: Here's how you can make Earth a better place

"This year's World Environment Day is an ideal occasion to go out and enjoy your country's national parks and other wilderness areas. Once you are there, why not set yourself a challenge (seek out a rare mammal, identify five butterflies, reach the remotest corner of the park). Record what you see, and send us a photo of yourself and/or your discoveries so we can post it on our digital channels and encourage others to go exploring too." -- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Every year, June 5 is celebrated as World Environment Day with a new theme. This year the theme is "Connecting People to Nature". This theme implores us to go outdoors and appreciate nature's beauty and importance, and take forward the call to protect the planet Earth. Last year's theme, "Zero Tolerance for the Illegal Wildlife trade" encouraged a fight against wildlife crime.

The day is celebrated to raise global awareness about the significance of a healthy environment and to solve various environmental issues by implementing some actions to protect nature and Earth, leading to a positive and healthy environment for all. World Environment Day is run by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

World Environment Day is an occasion to think how we are a part of nature and how intimately and unequivocally we depend on it for survival.

The day was established in 1972 by the United Nation, after this United States instituted the Earth Day, and since then, global citizens have organized thousands of events to bring attention to the degrading environmental conditions.

On World Environment Day, listed are some facts and what we can do to support this day:

• This day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972

• The United Nation organisation calls the holiday its "principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the environment"

• The anniversary of the Stockholm Conference is celebrated as World Environment Day every year. The conference was held by UN on the Human Environment

• Each year, the emphasis on World Environment Day is placed on a certain topic of earth crisis

• The name of the topic is usually decided by vote around March 1. This year's host country Canada got to choose the theme and will be at the centre of celebrations around the planet

• The theme of this year is "Connecting People to Nature"

• This year's theme has encouraged people to admire nature and challenges us to find fun and exciting ways to experience and cherish this vital relationship

• As per UNEP, the growing 'illegal trade in wildlife products is eroding Earth's precious biodiversity and robbing us of our natural heritage'

• All the illegal trade has been pushing species into extinction

World Environment Day: health is intrinsically linked to the environment

The theme for this year’s World Environment Day – “Connecting people to nature” – implores citizens of the world to get outdoors and into nature, to appreciate its beauty and importance, and to protect the Earth that we share. On this day, celebrated every 5 June since 1972, WHO reminds decision-makers and citizens that health is intrinsically linked to the environment.

Globally, an estimated 24% of the burden of disease and 23% of all deaths can be attributed to environmental factors. Air and water pollution, hazardous chemicals, waste, climate change – these are among the factors that not only harm the environment but can also lead to serious health problems. On the contrary, interventions to protect and preserve the environment can directly improve health.

Europe’s decades-long commitment to preserving the environment to protect health

In the late 1980s, European countries initiated the European Environment and Health Process (EHP), the first-ever process to eliminate the most significant environmental threats to human health. Since that time, a series of ministerial conferences held every 5 years and coordinated by WHO/Europe has driven progress towards this goal. The conferences are unique, bringing together different sectors to shape European policies and actions on environment and health.

The most recent conference took place in Parma, Italy, in 2010. The resulting Parma Declaration is the first time-bound outcome of the EHP. Governments of the 53 European Member States set clear targets to reduce the adverse health impact of environmental threats in the next decade.

At the upcoming 6th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, taking place on 13–15 June in Ostrava, Czechia, participants will consider new evidence demonstrating that preserving the environment is essential to the survival of humankind. They will also recognize the cross-border nature of environmental challenges; the necessity of focusing actions not only at the national level but also at subnational and city levels; the importance of identifying those most vulnerable to environmental challenges; and the need for good governance, which includes involving stakeholders and citizens. Participants will include health and environment ministers and high-level representatives of WHO European Member States, partner organizations, academia and civil society.

RESOUCES

World Health Organization