World Environment Day: The history of the event and this year’s theme

Wednesday June 5 is World Environment Day and this year is the event’s 51st anniversary.

Celebrations kicked off in host country Saudi Arabia, as millions of people prepare for similar activities across the world.

Here are the details about this climate-focused event.

World Environment Day is the United Nations day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment.

It’s held annually on June 5 and brings together millions of people from across the globe, engaging them in the effort to protect and restore the Earth.

The event aims to inspire positive change, with citizens from more than 150 countries celebrating environmental action and the power of governments, businesses and individuals to create a more sustainable world.

The event has been led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) since its inception in 1973.

It was set up to pay homage to what is considered the world’s first environmental summit, the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment.

The themes for World Environment Day 2024 are land restoration, stopping desertification and improving drought resilience under the slogan “Our land. Our future We are #GenerationRestoration.”

All over the world ecosystems are under danger. The natural areas that support humans, such as lakes, woods, lands and agricultural areas, are changing. The amount of damaged land on the earth is close to 40 per cent, while the frequency and duration of droughts have increased by 29 per cent since 2000.

If immediate action is not taken, three-quarters of the world's population may be affected by the middle of the century.

Thus, it is highlighted on this World Environment Day how crucial it is to restore land, stop desertification and increase drought resilience.

To restrict global warming to no more than 2C above pre-industrial times by 2100, annual greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by 2030. Ecosystem restoration is necessary for this and it must coincide with the economy's decarbonisation.

To stop the loss of ecosystems, nations have pledged in recent years to restore one billion hectares of degraded land in total as well as to accomplish other objectives.

The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration has been responsible for the majority of the restoration work done thus far. It is an international initiative whose goal is to restore billions of hectares, from mountain summits to ocean bottoms, from forests to agricultural areas. Its work officially began on World Environment Day in 2021.

The host country this year, Saudi Arabia, is one of the countries that has embraced restoration.

According to Saudi’s Green Initiative target, at least 49 million trees and shrubs have been planted since 2021 and temperature decreases of 2.2C have been projected in city centres.

There are plenty of other environmental awareness days this year to get involved with, including the following:

World Ocean Day takes place on June 8 to raise awareness of the vital role the oceans play in sustaining a healthy planet.

While World Refill Day takes place on June 16, which is a global public awareness campaign to prevent plastic pollution and help people live with less waste.

Also this month is World Rainforest Day. The day falls on June 22 and is aimed at helping protect rainforests by raising awareness and encouraging action to protect them.