Despite man being part and parcel of the environment since time immemorial, his certain activities have today posed an immense threat to the existence of all beings.
A number of environmental problems such as, global warming, climate changes, green house effect, soil erosion and destruction of water resources has arisen due to man’s irresponsible use of the limited resources, followed by the rapid population explosion.
June 5 of each year has been declared World Environment Day to mark the inaugural day of the UNFP as was decided at the International Environmental Convention held in Sweden in 1977.
It is celebrated each year on different themes to raise awareness among the global community on environmental protection, the policy planners, and environmental problems.
“Connecting people to nature” is this year’s theme. The world community has drawn special attention to connect people to nature in a sustainable manner.
The Cabinet has approved the memorandum, ‘Program to mark World Environment Day’ submitted by the President in his capacity as Mahaweli Development and Environment Minister to mark June 5 as World Environment Day. Accordingly, the week starting May 29 to June 7, has been declared ‘National Environment Week’. To coincide with it, the world environment remembrance week will be held on June 5 under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena.
Secretary to the President, P. B. Abeykoon said in a statement, various programs to raise awareness on environmental issues will be implemented.
Heads of institutions and their staff, and Principals of schools with the students should take action to raise awareness on the importance of World Environment Day, and hold shramadana campaigns to clean institutions and schools and garbage segregation (plastics/polythene/papers/metal/carbon etc).
All local bodies will engage in cleaning the environment, garbage separation and garbage management programs. Government departments, schools, NGOs Plantation Companies and Estates, the private sector, Civil Society Organizations together with the local community have been instructed to launch and implement the following programs with the participation of the political leadership, during the National Environment Week:
1. Make people aware of the need to ensure a “beautiful and clean country” starting from home
2. Launch environmental friendly beautiful habitats
3. Improve non-toxic, carbon-based agriculture
4. Programs to identify green jobs and promote them
5. Programs to help maintain a clean home-kitchen
6. Minimize the use of plastics and polythene and promote eco-friendly packing material
7. Develop the forest cover and set up plant nurseries to boost this project
8. Launch programs to identify and preserve water resources, reserved areas, river banks and wet lands
9. Programs for soil protection
10. Protect bio-diversity
11. Rehabilitation of damaged lands
12. Planting trees along the sea coast and cleaning the coastal belt
Each institution should prepare its plans in advance to implement the above and suitable environment protection programs, with the participation of the political leadership.
The National Environment Protection Program of the Presidential Secretariat will monitor the progress of the series of events.
These programs need to be included in the annual action plans of the institutions, the provinces and districts to ensure the implementation of the National Environment Week in the ensuing year, the secretary’s statement added.