World Nature Conservation Day
Celebrated on July 28 each year, World Nature
Conservation Day recognizes that a healthy environment is the foundation
for a stable and productive society and to ensure the well-being of
present and future generations, we all must participate to protect,
conserve, and sustainably manage our natural resources.
We all depend on natural resources like water, air, soil, minerals, trees, animals, food, and gas to live our daily lives.
To
keep the balance in the natural world, we must also help various
species to continue to exist. A report from the global conservation
organization World Wildlife Foundation suggests that since 1970, the
pressure that we exert on the planet has doubled and the resources upon
which we depend have declined by 33 percent. Despite the efforts put
into conservation by organizations and conservation activists, their
work has been undermined by those who have interests.
Conservation
of nature is very important, with scientists warning of mass
extinctions in the near future. Many nature documentaries show resources
that are being wasted. We have made this planet a world of steel and
concrete to sustain humanity but at the cost of other species, and it
has become more imperative upon us to conserve these resources that are
vital to human survival.
Trees and plants consume carbon which has
increased the planet's temperature, increased storms and sea level rises
and freshwater glacier melting that threatens lives. Glaciers are
connected to rivers and lakes which we depend on for drinking water
through city/town/community services (where did you think your water
came from?). Birds, bees and other insects pollinate the plants we need
to eat to stay healthy nutritionally. Factory foods provide reduced
quality in favor of the financial incentive. Children who spend time
exercising their senses in nature have been shown to increase their
skills at a faster rate than those who don't. Our planet provides us
with all of the resources that modern exploitation have given us,
through wood, medecin, water, plants and animals to eat, metals,
vitamins, minerals - yet it's exploited for money with systems of varied
complexity. Nature has given us SO much. If we don't conserve, we lose
these precious privileges to exploitation and abuse of resources.
The
natural world is facing an increasing threat from unsustainable
practices and the challenge is how to preserve and conserve nature in
the process of achieving sustainable development.
The state of nature has an impact on human survival, local and global economics, community life, human health and wellbeing.
On
this day, let us make a conscious effort to contribute to the local,
national, and global efforts in conserving nature and the benefits they
provide for the present and future generations.
The theme for this year’s global campaign is ELIMINATION.
2016 is a pivotal year for viral hepatitis. At the
World Health Assembly in May, WHO Member States are set to adopt the
first ever Elimination Strategy for Viral Hepatitis,
with ambitious targets and a goal to eliminate hepatitis as a public
health threat by 2030. This will be the first time national governments
sign up and commit to the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis.
To mark this historic moment and to leverage this
political commitment, we are using the theme of elimination for WHD
2016, which can be easily adapted for local use; to achieve elimination,
greater awareness, increased diagnosis and key interventions including
universal vaccination, blood and injection safety, harm reduction and
treatment are all needed. This means every activity that addresses viral
hepatitis is a step towards elimination. In other words, no matter what
your plans are to mark WHD, be it a rally or press briefing or
screening events, they can all come under the theme of elimination.
To elevate the theme of elimination NOhep,
a global elimination movement, will be launched to bring people
together and provide a platform for people to speak out, be engaged and
take action to ensure global commitments are met and viral hepatitis is
eliminated by 2030.
In order to achieve the NOhep objective of reaching 300 million by
2030, we need your help. Whether you do something as large as launching
NOhep on WHD in your country or as simple as signing up to the movement,
every action has an impact. Join us and be part of making the
elimination of viral hepatitis our next greatest achievement.
