“Let’s nurture the nature so that we can have a better future.”
World Environment Day is one of the most celebrated days across the world. It is the day where the public, NGOs, employees and students Internationally cooperate and work together for the betterment of the cleaner and greener environment. Every year, globally World Environment Day is celebrated on 5th June with its main objective to restore, replenish and create awareness about the importance of nature.
The word ‘environment’ is derived from the French word ‘envirornia’ meaning to surround. Generally, environment can refer to the surrounding or areas where all the living and non living things reside. In the year 1972, the United Nations General Assembly had a clear cut decision and took a prominent step on the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment to hold an environmental occasion annually. Later on in the year 1974, the first celebration of World environment day was held with the theme Only One Earth and every year 5th June is occasioned with a different environmental theme to safe, protect, restore and to bring an embracing change to the environment.
Once upon a time, our Earth was full of mesmerizing nature filled with diverse biodiversity. The place was so calm that even a whispering of chirping bird echoes throughout the far flung vales and mountains. But Alas! such beautiful sounds of nature are no more to be seen and heard. Right after man discovered fire, curiosity struck man’s mind and started different discoveries and inventions. Slowly and steadily industrialization, globalization and revolutionization progressively advanced human civilization. With tremendous increase in urbanization, agricultural intensification, mining activities, population growth, deforestation, industrialization, etc. we are not only occupying space but also deteriorated defiling our planet Earth. At the same time, wastes are also another major problem. Tonnes and tonnes of wastes are dumped into the land and water; whereby resulting in agonising death of known and unknown species, contaminating the potable water, polluting the pure air and deteriorating the fertile soil. Moreover, accumulation of such wastes is the direct result of many air and water borne diseases. One of the most debatable topic called global warming which is altering normal climate to unprecedented disastrous climate is also caused mostly by human activities. Scientists and researchers also predicted that rise in unprecedented natural disasters, diseases and famine are all the result of environmental issue. Centuries of years aback, people had the strongest bond with nature and because of that they were able to live a longer life. But due to decrease in nature and human bondage, our present generation is facing the unbelievable life span. Hardly we could live for 80 years. Destroying the nature means destroying ourselves. The world has turned totally upside down. Uncheck of environmental crisis will one day end all the species on Earth including humans.
Nature is not dependent on humans but we are all dependent on nature for all sources of food, shelter and cloth and without nature humans and other life forms would be unimaginable. Therefore, knowing the positive contribution of nature it is a must for all of us to protect our soul and sole natural environment.
Human activities have lead to the extinction of many plants and other species. Even today, many known and unknown species are also on the verge of extinction. We cannot stop deforestation, farming and other human activities just for the love of nature. But what we can do to protect nature is to reduce our wants and use the resources judiciously. It is high time for all of us to react to the situation promptly without any hesitation. What is gone that is gone but what is left must be protected and conserved at the earliest. Therefore, World Environment Day is observed to mark for the significant change in human practices and to bring an embracing change for a better future. This day is the day where we flashback our relationship and rebuild our bonding with nature. Every year on 5th June, activities such as cleaning drive, afforestation, online protests, environmental programs and competitions such as essay writing, video making, slogan writing, poster making, etc. are conducted. On this day, various organizations collaboratively work together to fight for the environmental welfare by conducting various environmental awareness programmatic aspects in their campus as well.
Till today, our Earth is the only home for us and all other biodiversity. If we do not protect the planet Earth then there is no other planet where we can live and survive. Many scientists and researchers are trying their level best to find out living on other planets like Mars. Hopefully, one day our struggle to colonize Mars will be achieved but life on other planets will not be as comfortable and peaceful like our mother Earth. When we rebuild our nature then there will also be a wealthier economic contribution and healthier living. Therefore, it is a must for us to keenly participate in World Environment Day and to raise our voice to value nature and start rebuilding our world a better world.
By Metsongmalem M Chang, Nagaland
Really appreciate it