● Bosnia and Herzegovina to double its protected land area, opens gates to national parks
● European Commission announces new support for Natura 2000 – the largest protected area network in the world
● Clean-ups taking place for the Baltic Sea and Mt Großvenediger in Austria, among a mass of events on the ground
5 June 2017 – Europeans are kindling their deep-held love for nature on World Environment Day, while political commitments are helping ensure this can be passed on for generations to come.
Celebrated on 5 June each year, World Environment Day is the largest global day for positive environmental action. This year, the global theme of connecting people to nature highlights the vast benefits - from food security and improved health to water supply and climatic stability - that a clean environment provides to humanity.
“Our entire modern life, with its skyscrapers and smartphones, stands on a delicate foundation of natural systems,” said UN Environment chief Erik Solheim. “Today, these foundations are shaking, undermined by man-made climate change, deforestation and extinctions. No amount of advanced technology will save us if we destroy and pollute our natural lifeblood.”
In the pan-European region, Bosnia and Herzegovina will double the proportion of its protected land area by establishing eight new sites totalling 150,000 hectares, including the Rakitnica river canyon and Govještica cave, as part of a UN Environment-Global Environment Facility project. It is also one of the many countries worldwide making it easier to connect with nature by offering free entrance to national parks such as Skakavac Waterfalls, Bijambare Cave and the River Bosna’s natural spring.
A new action plan announced by European Commissioner for the Environment Karmenu Vella meanwhile contains 15 practical actions to strengthen management of the Natura 2000 network - the largest network of farms, wetlands, forests and other natural sites in the world. These include a proposal to increase funding for the conservation of nature and biodiversity by 10%.
"Our plan will improve investment, knowledge, ownership and communication of how people and nature can work hand in hand," Mr Vella underlined. “The move will “encourage our biodiversity to recover and grow and that will bring people back to nature”.
Globally, from Kyrgyzstan to Finland – where the primeval forests and fish-filled waters of Hossa will become the country’s 40th national park -countries have announced new protected areas totalling more than 1,600 square kilometres. Governments are also announcing new protected areas at sea, placing the world on track to preserve a tenth of all oceans by 2020.
Connecting with nature on the ground
With well-documented physical and mental health benefits of being in nature, the theme to the 2017 edition of World Environment Day encourages people to simply get back outdoors. “Let us not forget to cherish what gives us the air we breathe, safe and good food and countless other services,” reminded UN Environment’s Europe Director Jan Dusík.
The Alpenverein (Alpine Association) in Austria, the Austrian ‘Almdudler’ soft drink company and UN Environment will therefore roll up their sleeves and organise an awareness-raising and clean-up event for Mt Großvenediger on 24 June. Mountain litter takes much longer to decompose at high altitudes - taking up to 500 years for a soda can and five years just for a chewing gum.
A Mountain Outlook report for Central Asia will be launched in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, while awareness-raising marches for nature have taken place in Tajikistan’s two largest cities. Two beach clean-ups held in the St Petersburg region for the Baltic Sea follow on from the world’s largest ever such event taking place in India last year.
The Geneva Environment Network is meanwhile leading an array of events open to the general public, ranging from visits to an organic farm and green energy site to an awareness-raising film screening and a discussion on links between gender and the environment.
A call together with the British naturalist and documentary-maker Sir David Attenborough for schools to hold lessons outdoors has furthermore connected children to nature across the region. Biology was taught in fresh air in Belarus for example, while dozens of children visited the Sumarokovo Natural Reserve and elk farm in Russia to light their passion for the environment.
Greening up
The City Halls in Venice and Milan, the Old Bridge area in Mostar, Bosnia - a UNESCO World Heritage site - and other landmarks in the pan-European region are lighting-up green for the Day. They join Niagara Falls, Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio, the world’s tallest building - Dubai’s Burj Khalifa - and some of its oldest - the Egyptian pyramids, and more across the globe.
“We want everyone to find a way to connect with nature today, but also to use it as a launch pad to achieve the Global Goals aimed at protecting the health and well-being of people and our planet” said Mr Dusík.
For more information and to arrange interviews, please contact:
Michal Szymanski, Information Officer, UN Environment, michal.szymanski@unep.org, +254 715 876 185
Mark Grassi, Information Assistant, UN Environment, mark.grassi@unenvironment.org, +41 788750086
