June 5-World Environment Day:

‘Many species, one planet, one future’

Hot on the heels of the International Day for Biodiversity (on May 22) comes another related event; World Environment Day (WED) on June 5. This is another global event organised by the United Nations under the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to increase awareness about the environment and enhance political attention and public action on environmental issues.

The Day aims to give a human face to environmental issues; empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development; promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues; and advocate partnerships which will ensure that all nations and people enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.

Still following the line of celebrating the diversity of life on earth, this year’s events would be conducted under the theme ‘Many Species, One Planet, One Future’. It would be a part of the celebrations of 2010 being the International Year of Biodiversity.

The event is hosted by different countries each year. This year would be no different with Rwanda being the global host. The African nation is blessed with exceptional biodiversity and has made vast strides in environmental protection over the years.

Among the activities to be held there over three days, from June 3-5, one of the most interesting and eye-catching would be the gorilla-naming ceremony to take place at the famous Volcano National Park.

A gorilla-naming ceremony will be part of the activities in Rwanda

A tree planting ceremony in Sri Lanka.

Two baby gorillas would be named at the event through a public vote. The names would be announced by actor and UNEP Goodwill Ambassador Don Cheadle (of the movie ‘Hotel Rwanda’) and climate hero Luo Hong.

In Sri Lanka, the main event in connection with World Environment Day will be held at Bandaranayake College, Gampaha. Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa would be the chief guest at the event which would take place on the initiative of Environment Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Deputy Minister Faizer Musthapha.

Activities organised on the day would reflect the global theme ‘Many Species, One Planet, One Future’. The Environment Ministry has organised events such as a walk, a tree planting ceremony, awards ceremony and environment and biodiversity exhibition.

According to a Ministry official, the environment walk has been organised to educate students and the public on the importance of environmental conservation. It would get under way at 8.00am from Rathnawali Balika Vidyalaya and Bandarawatte Parakrama Vidyalaya, Gampaha and over 1,000 participants would make their way to the Bandaranayake College premises.

The tree planting ceremony would see over 50 varieties of plants such as esala, ebony and sandalwood being planted and over 50 students receiving bank passbooks for the maintenance of these plants, courtesy Indian Oil Corporation.

The main ceremony of the day would take place at the Bandaranayake College Auditorium at 9.30 am. Cultural events would be presented by students of Bandaranayake, Rathnawali and Yasodhara Balika Vidyalaya. Later, awards would be presented to the people and organisations who were winners of the programs held to promote ‘green jobs’. Books would also be presented to the schools who took part in the walk, the official said.

An exhibition reflecting the Environment Day 2010 theme would take place concurrently at the school premises. Stalls displaying mango varieties and products, types of yams and plantains, different species of snakes, climate change and ayurvedic concoctions would be some of the high points of the exhibition.

Coast Conservation Department, Central Environmental Authority, State Timber Corporation, Wildlife Conservation Department, Geological Survey and Mining Bureau and National Gem and Jewellery Authority would be some of the institutions taking part in the exhibition.

Around the world, street rallies, bicycle parades, ‘green’ concerts, essay and poster competitions in schools and tree planting, recycling and clean-up campaigns are some of the activities organised to commemorate the day.

In many countries, steps are taken to raise political attention and action on these issues which lead to the establishment of permanent government structures to deal with environment management and economic plans.

It also gives an opportunity to sign and ratify various international conventions related to the environment.

The UN General Assembly designated June 5 as World Environment Day in 1972, to deepen public awareness of the need to preserve and enhance the environment.

The date recalls the opening day of the UN Conference on the Human Environment, in Stockholm, Sweden in 1972.

Another resolution adopted by the General Assembly on the same day led to the establishment of the UNEP.