World Environment Day –celebrated annually on 5 June – is the UN’s flagship annual campaign that aims to raise awareness of worldwide environmental issues of all kinds – from marine pollution to overpopulation and global warming. Last year’s event marked the campaign’s 50th anniversary and focused on solutions to plastic pollution . This year, the theme is land restoration (or #GenerationRestoration on social media), which is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world.
Land restoration refers to the process of preventing further degradation and rehabilitating degraded land, whether through reforestation and soil conservation or the protection of natural processes. This solution is essential for mitigating the causes and effects of climate change. Not only does it help sequester carbon dioxide but it helps ecosystems to thrive and biodiversity to flourish, providing a habitat for plants, animals and microorganisms.
According to UN data , at least 100 million hectares of healthy land is now lost each year. Urgent action is needed to de-escalate the crisis – particularly as land degradation has a socio-economic impact. Communities all around the world are suffering from droughts, water scarcity, lack of food security and natural disasters.
But the good news is that we can help to reverse the trends of land loss by reimagining our relationship with nature and acting now. There are numerous ways you can also help with preventing.
