With the theme of this year's World Environment Day ¨C 'Connecting People to Nature' ¨C aimed at highlighting the well-documented physical and mental health benefits of being in nature, the United Nations is today flagging the??of such engagement, from food security and improved health to reliable water supply and climatic stability.
This is our environment. It is the keystone of a sustainable future. Without a healthy environment we cannot end poverty or build prosperity, said?Secretary-General?Ant¨®nio Guterres in a??on the Day, commemorated annually on 5 June.
Pointing to land, water oceans, forests, and the air that we breathe, the UN chief reaffirmed that everyone has a role to play in protecting our only home, including using less plastics, driving less, wasting less food and teaching each other to care.
On World Environment Day ¨C and every day ¨C let us reconnect with nature. Let us cherish the planet that protects us, concluded Mr. Guterres.
?is the largest global day for positive environmental action. This year, the main celebrations are hosted by Canada. The UN Environment Programme () says thousands of people across six continents are joining massive clean-ups of beaches and parks, countries are protecting 1,600 square kilometres of land, and over 30 iconic landmarks, including the Empire State Building, 'Christ the Redeemer' statue in Rio, and Niagara Falls, will light up in green.
The Day's theme encourages people to simply 'get back outdoors'
The 2017 edition of the Day coincides with the opening at UN Headquarters in New York of?, the first-ever high-level global meeting on conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. The Governments of Fiji and Sweden have the co-hosting responsibilities of the Conference.
The??resolves to ensure the lasting protection of the planet and its natural resources, in particular, the Agenda's associated Sustainable Development Goals () 14 and 15 focus on respectively??and on?.
Our entire modern life, with its skyscrapers and smartphones,?