World Environment Day

By helping to protect our natural world, we support all of our areas of focus. Trees and forests contribute greatly to the well being of our societies and economies, reducing soil erosion, and maintaining oxygen

The state of the environment underpins, and has the power to impact, all six areas of focus. A vital component to humanity’s well-being, we increasingly need to recognise the environment’s elemental role in creating truly sustainable and lasting change.

The opportunity to collaborate with UN Environment — the United Nations agency that serves as the global authority on the environment — is well-timed for those who want to make a difference at the local level.

By helping to protect our natural world, we support all of our areas of focus — and take action to create positive, lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

What is World Environment Day?
World Environment Day takes place every year on 5 June. It is the United Nations’ flagship day for promoting worldwide awareness and action for the environment.

Over the years, it has grown to be one of the largest global platforms for public outreach and is celebrated by millions of people in more than 100 countries.

It is the “people’s day” for doing something positive for the environment. This year, the theme for World Environment Day is Air Pollution. Millions of people will

participate in activities around the world to take action to improve the quality of the air we breathe.

The day is celebrated in countless ways, with everything from beach clean-ups to tree planting. It is a great opportunity to contribute as part of civic society.

Trees and forests contribute greatly to the well being of our societies and economies, reducing soil erosion, and maintaining oxygen.

ALL SIX OF ROTARY'S AREAS OF FOCUS ARE CLOSELY LINKED TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

PROMOTING PEACE:
The connections between the environment and peace are many and complex. Good management of ecosystems can lead to cooperative, resilient communities. Poor management of the environment undermines both natural and social systems. The resulting scarcities and competition for water and other natural resources can lead to increased insecurity, climate-induced migration, and refugees.

FIGHTING DISEASE:
A healthy environment tends to lead to healthier people.2 Investing in environmental sustainability can promote our well being. The degradation of the environment — the the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, and the ecosystems that sustain us — is responsible for an estimated 1 in 4 deaths across the globe.

PROVIDING CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION:
Too many people in the world still lack access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene —basic elements of health and dignity. Effective management and protection of the environment is critical for successful water and sanitation programmes and can reduce risks to water supplies due to flooding, pollution, improperly managed sanitation, extreme precipitation events, and over extraction.

SAVING MOTHERS AND CHILDREN:
Approximately 1.7 million children under five die each year from lower respiratory infections and diarrhea diseases. Cleaning up the environment reduces preventable and premature deaths, improves the health of the children who survive, benefits their mothers, and improves the well-being of the entire family.

SUPPORTING EDUCATION:
Nature education creates better stewards of the air, land, water, and wildlife, which is critical for the sustainability of everyone’s health. Young minds in well-nourished and healthy bodies are better able to benefit from education and literacy.

GROWING LOCAL ECONOMIES:
Prudent environmental practices support industry, agriculture, and services to meet both current and future needs of a community. Tapping alternative energy sources to reduce energy poverty and support local economies is essential for progress in all the other areas of focus. For example, strategic micro-financing enables a community to install and use a solar-powered grid. Communities and their economies flourish when the air and water are clean, and nourishing food promotes health and well-being.

The health of the land affects us in many ways because we depend on land for shelter, water, and agriculture. Restoration of landscapes makes our communities more resilient because it strengthens water catchments and can protect cities from natural disasters, such as coastal mangroves that are natural buffer to storms. Tree planting is essential to the restoration of habitats, watersheds, and ecosystems.

Actions

1. Raise awareness about the benefits of tree planting and forest restoration.
2. Organize community drives to plant trees on land that has been degraded.
3. Identify conservation challenges in your community and ways to address the problem.
4. Engage with policymakers on wildlife corridors and conservation.
5. Host a tree-planting event.

For Further Information:

Email:
ESRAG: Kenneth Leonard, Christopher Puttock
christopher.puttock@gmail.com

Please Visit:
www.rotarymissiongreen.org  
www.esrag.org/tree-planting-resources

Reference: www.esrag.org/sites/default/files/imce/ESRAG-Toolkit-3H.pdf