World Environment Day 2024: Promoting Land Restoration and Sustainable Development
World Environment Day has been celebrated annually since 1973, on June 5 under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It is the largest global platform for environmental public outreach, and is celebrated by millions of people worldwide. In 2024, Saudi Arabia is hosting World Environment Day.
We honor World Environment Day and extend our greetings to all those who recognize the value of our planet and strive in every possible way, to protect and preserve the Earth’s environment, as a unique sanctuary in the cosmos.
Here is a summary of the key issues that require utmost attention in this regard:
Preventing water, air, soil, and environmental pollution.
Preventing global warming by controlling greenhouse gases (which cause polar ice melting and…. potential flooding of numerous cities. This phenomenon also leads to the release of microorganisms that have been trapped in the polar ice for millions of years, posing significant threat to human health).
Preventing soil erosion and soil overuse, like excessive pottery production and so on (Earth’s soil in not found anywhere else in the cosmos).
Preventing excessive use of pesticides, poisonous chemicals, and other hygiene products that contaminate groundwater.
Preventing air and water pollution.
Preventing the disruption of natural ecosystem by avoiding the destruction of nature and the natural structures of the environment.
According to UNESCO’s statement on World Environment Day, the ecosystem worldwide—including forests, drylands, farmlands, and lakes, all essential to human survival—is under threat. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) reports that up to 40% of the Earth’s land is degraded, directly affecting half the global population. The frequency and duration of droughts have increased by 29% since 2000, and without urgent action, droughts could impact three-quarters of the world’s population by 2050.
Land restoration is a key goal of the United Nations regarding ecosystem restoration (2021-2030), emphasizing the need to protect and revive ecosystems globally to achieve sustainable development goals. Thus, World Environment Day 2024 focuses on land restoration, halting desertification, and forming resilience against drought. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the UNCCD. The 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the UNCCD will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December 2-13, 2024.
It is also reiterated here that despite discovering thousands of planets, many of which are highly similar to the Earth, none can support life like the Earth due to various factors. In other words, the unique nature that exists on the Earth is unparalleled and will never be found elsewhere in the cosmos (despite the existence of billions of potential planets). This makes a powerful motivation for us to cherish and preserve this masterpiece and act in a way that allows future generations to also benefit from the blessing of this earthly planet’s unrivaled nature.
Mohammad Ali Taheri
Founder of Erfan Keyhani Halgheh & Taheri Peace Organization
June 5, 2024 Toronto
