PAKISTAN TO HOST

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2021

June 05, Pakistan will host, for the very first time in its history, the World Environment Day. This year’s observance of World Environment Day with the collaboration of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) will be on the theme of ‘Ecosystem Restoration’ and will focus on resetting our relationship with nature. It will also mark the formal launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030. The UN Decade runs from 2021 through 2030, which is also the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals and the timeline scientists have identified as the last chance to prevent catastrophic climate change
Only four people are invited to participate in the conference with PM Imran Khan chairing the global summit on the environment, which would also be attended by Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres, Pope Francis, and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Making the announcement on the margins of the virtual 5th UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5), Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change, Malik Amin Aslam, joined UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen to acknowledge the urgency of preventing, halting and reversing the degradation of ecosystems worldwide. Led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Government of Pakistan – in one of the world’s most ambitious afforestation efforts – plans to expand and restore the country’s forests through a ’10 Billion Tree Tsunami’ spread over 5 years.
The campaign includes restoring mangroves and forests, as well as planting trees in urban settings, including schools, colleges, public parks and green belts. Pakistan has launched Eco-System Restoration Fund for supporting nature-based solution to climate change, facilitating transition towards environmentally-resilient and ecologically-targeted initiatives covering afforestation and biodiversity conservation. Recently, Prime Minister has launched “Protected Area Initiative” to develop 15 model Protected Areas across the country to conserve over 7,300 Sq km of land area as well as Green Stimulus with creation of over 5,500 green jobs
On the occasion, Pakistan will make some important announcements related to initiatives that it has taken to mitigate the effects of climate change. The prime minister, during the summit, would highlight the Billion Tree Tsunami project, Clean Green Pakistan project electric vehicle policy, national parks, green jobs, and other climate change initiatives taken by the incumbent government.
A mega ceremony to mark World Environment Day 2021 would also be held on June 5 in Islamabad, where key announcements would be made to pursue an effective climate change policy in the country.
World Environment Day takes place every year on 5 June. It is the United Nations’ flagship day for promoting worldwide awareness and action for the environment. Over the years, it has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental public outreach and is celebrated by millions of people across the world.