Health Days 2017

World Environment Day

"Connecting People to Nature", the theme for World Environment Day 2017. This year's host country Canada has chosen theme, which will be the center of celebration around the planet and will take place every 5 June as a largest annual event to make a positive change to the environment.
Since it began in 1972, global citizens have organized many thousands of events, from neighborhood clean-ups, to action against wildlife crime, to replanting forests.
This year’s theme invites you to think about how we are part of nature and how intimately we depend on it. It challenges us to find fun and exciting ways to experience and cherish this vital relationship.

Objective:
To encourage enjoying and protecting nature in appreciation of its beauty and importance and move forward to protect the land on which we all live.


The value of nature:
Regardless of the growing environmental problems (such as global warming), the scientific developments help us to understand the countless ways in which natural systems support our own prosperity and well-being. For example, the world’s oceans, forests and soils act as vast stores for greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane; farmers and fisher-folk harness nature on land and under water to provide us with food; scientists develop medicines using genetic material drawn from the millions of species that make up Earth’s astounding biological diversity.
 Billions of rural people around the world spend every working day connected to nature and depend on natural water supplies and that nature provides their livelihoods in the form of fertile soil. They are among the first to suffer when the environment is threatened, either by pollution or climate change.
Nature’s gifts are often hard to value in monetary terms. However, economists are developing ways to measure the multi-trillion-dollar worth of many so-called ‘ecosystem services’, from insects pollinating fruit trees to the leisure, health and spiritual benefits of a hike up a Himalayan valley.


Hit the park:
This year’s World Environment Day is an ideal occasion to go out and enjoy your country’s national parks and other wilderness areas. Park authorities in some countries may follow Canada’s example and waive or reduce park entry fees on June 5 or for a longer period.
Once you are there, why not set yourself a challenge by planting a seedling, feeding an animal or removing a harmful object from the road and others. 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.


Nature up close:
Connecting to nature can involve all the physical senses:
Why not take off your shoes and get your feet (and hands) dirty with sand;
Don’t just look at the beautiful lake, jump in!
Take a hike at night and rely on your ears and nose to experience nature.
You can also connect with nature in the city, where major parks can be a green lung and a hub of biodiversity.
Why not do your bit to green the urban environment, by greening your street or a derelict site, or planting a window box?
Wherever you are, you could vow to pick up 10 (or 100) pieces of trash, or take inspiration from the citizens of Mumbai, India, and organize a mass beach clean-up.
Your activity does not have to take place on 5 June itself. UN Environment, for instance, will soon begin testing your knowledge and raising your appreciation of a healthy environment with competitions and online quizzes and provide a whole menu of ideas to help you celebrate the day.
In the age of asphalt and smartphones and among the distractions of modern life, connections with nature can be fleeting. However, with your help, the World Environment Day can make clearer than ever that we need harmony between humanity and nature so that both are able to thrive.

Last Update : 07 June 2017 02:47 PM
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