World Environment Day is celebrated every year on 5 June to focus the world’s attention on a pressing environmental issue.
The 2020 World Environment Day global campaign aims at highlighting how we as humans are inextricably
linked to and depend on nature for our existence and quality of life. Recent events, from bushfires in Brazil,
United States and Australia to locust swarms to the COVID-19 outbreak, highlights how meddling with
ecosystems and biodiversity from its natural state is creating unprecedented challenges for humankind on a
global scale.
Biodiversity—the variety of life forms in any given habitat, from large animals to plants to fungi to the smallest of
organisms—is threatened like never before. The biosphere is being altered at an unprecedented scale. We have
significantly changed 75 per cent of the land surface. Two-thirds of the ocean area is impacted by human activity.
Just 15 per cent of wetlands still exist today. Between 2010 and 2015 alone, 32 million hectares of forest have
disappeared.
This World Environment Day, the need to heal our relationship and start living in harmony with nature, perhaps, has never been this stark in modern history. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is calling on governments, businesses and civil society to work together in building global understanding of biodiversity and nature’s key contribution to our survival.
In India, UN Environment is leading the charge in the One UN celebrations of #WorldEnvironmentDay 2020. Here are the details of what all UN agencies are doing virtually to observe WED.
1. Virtual programme by Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate Change, Government of India for World Environment Day 2020
The Ministry is organising a virtual event with a theme of “Urban Forests”. Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar and Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Babul Supriyo, key senior government representatives will participate in the webinar and will launch a Brochure on Best Practice on City Forests. A video message by UNEP Executive Director, Ms Inger Anderson will also be played in the webinar.
Date: 5 June 2020
Time: 9.00 am India time
Livestream link: https://youtu.be/IzMQuhmheoo
2. Investing in Nature for Building Back Better
This webinar is the first in a series being organized by UNEP and its partners on the significance of biodiversity conservation for socio-economic development and ways to mainstream investments in nature for economic development. Participants include
- Diya Mirza, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador
- Renata Dessallien, Resident Coordinator, UN India
- R P Gupta, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
- Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog
- Ravi Singh, CEO, WWF India
- Babul Supriyo, Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change
- Ramesh Pokhriyal, * Minister of Human Resource Development
- Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change
- Atul Bagai, Head, UN Environment India
Date: 5 June 2020
Time: 11.00 am – 1.00 pm
To join register here: https://undp.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xuxwQeEMROyfoiLvnfrFtQ
Livestream link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkfK6MGPLCs
3. Celebrating World Environment Day with Women Farmers
UNICEF India and WHO India offices join hands with Sphere India and HCL Foundation to organise an academy to explore the nexus between land, water, food, livelihood security and women farmers and leaders for volunteers, student groups and individuals willing to support local-level authorities to deliver health and social protection services to address direct and secondary impact of COVID-19.
Date: 5 June 2020
Time: 11.00 am – 12.30 pm
Livestream link: http://tiny.cc/CAyoutube
4. Pockets of Hope
UNESCO New Delhi is hosting a series of webinars starting June 5, World Environment Day on COVID 19 pandemic and the role of World Biosphere Reserves. The webinar series will continue through June 9th, 12th, 16th and 19th and will lead into the National Television Series ‘Pockets of Hope’, the first-ever audiovisual documentation of the World Biosphere Reserve network in India. Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change will inaugurate the campaign.
5. Experience the Beauty of Nature
UN Volunteers India invites you to an experience sharing session with conservation experts to understand the perks of volunteering for protection of biodiversity.
Date: 5 June 2020
Time: 12.00 pm 1.45 pm
Link to register: https://undp.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WGTinTioSEe5hvR-acpiMQ
webinar ID: 969 8396 9831
6. Recycle to Conserve
UN Volunteers in collaboration with WWF invites you to a best-out-of-waste workshop for adolescents and young adults (15-25 years) with WWF volunteer Ashley Wilkinson.
Date: 5 June 2020
Time: 3.00 pm – 4.00 pm
Link to join: https://undp.zoom.us/j/97211372834
7. UReportquiz with UNICEF India
Details awaited
Date: 5 June 2020
Time: 4.00 pm
8. How can we save India’s biodiversity?
Twitter Live on how we can save India’s biodiversity with Renata Dessallien, UN India Resident Coordinator, Randeep Hooda, Convention on Migratory Species Ambassador, Prerna S Bindra, Wildlife Conservationist and Tamseel Hussain, Fonder Let Me Breathe.
Date: 5 June 2020
Time: 4.30 pm
Link to join: https://twitter.com/UNinIndia
9. Faith-Based Organisations to support WED
UNEP India in collaboration with United Religions Initiative with support from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change will present a strategy to connect with all Faith-Based Organizations in India to garner support for the future of this planet and its people.
Date: 5 June 2020
Time: 5:00pm – 5:45 pm India Time
10. Music for Conservation
UN Volunteers brings to you the cultural heritage of Nagaland with a live virtual music concert by Tetseo Sisters.
Date: 5 June 2020
Time: 5:00 pm onwards
Link to join: https://www.facebook.com/unitednationsvolunteersindia/
11. World Environment Day Campaign
UNDP India has partnered with National Geographic Traveller India, for a World Environment Day Campaign. A live Instagram conversation between environmentalists is also scheduled on World Oceans Day on 8 June. Details awaited.
12. Campaigns and launches
Endangered Species campaign: Spot The Endangered – Let’s see more of them – In The Sky, On The Ground, In The Water.
The endangered species campaign, Spot The Endangered – ‘Let’s see more of them – In the Sky, On the Ground, In The Water!’ will build awareness and understanding of endangered species and their vital connect in the web of life. The reasons for such species reaching closer to extinction are illegal poaching, deforestation, depleting natural habitat. With World Environment Day 2020 themed on Nature and Biodiversity, it becomes imperative to highlight the dwindling population of India’s endangered species.
“Stand up with Nature” campaign with WWF
A nationwide Biodiversity Education Campaign will be launched on World Environment Day, to recalibrate the relationship of people with nature. This initiative will connect children, youth and citizen with Biodiversity practitioners such as policymakers, academia, conservation organization and key influencers. Schools, colleges, corporate and businesses will be major implementers.
Earth School
The Earth School is a series of 30 adventures for learners of all ages to discover, celebrate, and connect to nature. This global team came together under the guidance and support of TED-Ed and UNEP to design lessons for students of all levels and host Earth School at a time when it matters the most. Earth School is an unprecedented coalition of over fifty environmental and education experts. This will be launched on the Ministry of Human Resources Deeksha Platform. it will also reach out to Eco clubs in India through Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
