Healthy Ecosystem to stop the collapse of biodiversity.

1. WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
“Reimagine.Recreate.Restore”
5 June 2021
Dr. (Mrs.) Renu Bedi
Sr. Professor & Head
Dept. of Community Medicine
JLNMC Ajmer

7. Importance and History of the Day
 World Environment Day, which is celebrated annually on June 5
across the globe, is one of the biggest events organized by the
United Nations (UN) to generate awareness about the
significance of nature.
 The day is celebrated to tell people that nature should be
respected for its values.
 In 1972 after discussions on environment-related issues during
the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the Human
Environment, the United Nations Assembly established World
Environment Day. Two years later in1974, it was first observed in
the US. The theme of the first World Environment Day was 'Only
One Earth'.
 In 1987, the idea of rotating the center of these activities started
so that different countries can get the opportunity to host the
event.
 Since then, various host countries have been celebrating it, and
the idea for rotating the center of these activities started.

8.  We have been exploiting and destroying our
planet’s ecosystems since decades.
 Every three seconds, the world loses
enough forest to cover a football pitch and over the
last century we have & destroyed half of
our& wetlands.
 As much as 50 per cent of our coral reefs have
already been lost and up to 90 per cent of coral
reefs could be lost by 2050, even if global warming
is limited to an increase of 1.5°C.

9.  Ecosystem loss is depriving the world of carbon sinks, like
forests and peatlands, at a time humanity can least afford it.
 Global greenhouse gas emissions have grown for three
consecutive years and the planet is one pace for potentially
catastrophic climate change.
 The emergence of COVID-19 has also shown just how
disastrous the consequences of ecosystem loss can be.
 By shrinking the area of natural habitat for animals, we have
created ideal conditions for pathogens – including
coronaviruses – to spread.
 With this big and challenging picture, the World Environment
Day is focus in the ecosystem restoration and its theme is
“Reimagine.Recreate.Restore.”

10.  Ecosystem restoration means preventing, halting
and reversing this damage – to go from exploiting
nature to healing it.
 This World Environment Day will kick off the UN
Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), a
global mission to revive billions of hectares, from
forests to farmlands, from the top of mountains to
the depth of the sea.
 Only with healthy ecosystems we can enhance
people’s livelihoods, counteract climate change and
stop the collapse of biodiversity.

11.  From forests to peatlands to coasts, we all depend on
healthy ecosystems for our survival. Ecosystems are
defined as the interaction between living organisms -
plants, animals, people - with their surroundings. This
includes nature, but also human-made systems such
as cities or farms.
 Ecosystem restoration is a global undertaking at
massive scale. It means repairing billions of hectares
of land – an area greater than China or the USA – so
that people have access to food, clean water and jobs.
 It means bringing back plants and animals from the
brink of extinction, from the peaks of mountains to the
depths of the sea.

12.  It also includes the many small actions everyone can take,
every day: growing trees, greening our cities, rewilding our
gardens or cleaning up trash alongside rivers and coasts.
 Restoring ecosystems carries substantial benefits for
people. For every dollar invested in restoration, at least
seven to thirty dollars in returns for society can be expected.
Restoration also creates jobs in rural areas where they are
most needed.
 Some countries have already invested in restoration as part
of their strategies to bounce back from COVID-19. Others
are turning to restoration to help them adapt to a climate that
is already changing.

13. 9

15. Theme of World Environment Day 2021
 This year’s theme
is ”Reimagine.Recreate.Restore”, about helping
in the conservation of ecosystems and the
recovery of those that have been destroyed or
degraded.
 It covers measures such as the greening of cities,
growing trees, changing diets and cleaning
of rivers among other things.
 This year will also mark the launch of the UN
Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

16. World Environment Day 2021 Host Country
 Pakistan in collaboration with the UN Environment
Programme (UNEP) is the host country this year for its
official celebrations, calls for urgent action to revive our
damaged ecosystems.
 The country’s government is planning to increase the
forest cover and restore mangroves over five years
through its ’10 Billion Tree Tsunami’ campaign.
 This would also involve the planting of trees in urban
areas such as public parks, schools and colleges.
 The campaign is also a contributor to the Bonn
Challenge, an international initiative connected to UN
Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

18. “What we are doing to the forests of the
world is but a mirror reflection of what we
are doing to ourselves and one another.”
– Mahatma Gandhi

19. Why we need ecosystem
restoration??

20. THE BIG PICTURE
• Restoration and other natural solutions can deliver one
third of the mitigation needed by 2030 to keep global
warming below 2C while also helping societies and
economies adapt to climate change. Griscom et al.,
2017; Kapos et al., 2019)
• Restoring 15% of converted lands in the right places
could prevent 60% of projected species
extinctions. (Strassburg et al., 2020)
• Ecosystem restoration contributes to the achievement
of all 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals by
their 2030 target date, including the elimination of
poverty and hunger. (IRP, 2019)

21. THE VALUE OF ECOSYSTEMS
• Half of the world’s GDP is dependent on nature and every dollar
invested in restoration creates up to 30 dollars in economic
benefits. (Verdone and Seidl, 2017)
• Forests provide drinking water to one-third of the world’s largest
cities; they also support 80%, 75% and 68% of all amphibian,
bird, and mammal species, respectively. (HLPE, 2017; Vié, Hilton-
Taylor and Stuart, 2009)
• At least 2 billion people depend on the agricultural sector for their
livelihoods, particularly poor and rural populations.(WRI, 2019)
• Peatlands store nearly 30% of global soil carbon.(Scharlemann et al.,
2014)
• Street trees provide a reduction of around 0.5 to 2.0° C in
summer maximum air temperatures, benefiting at least 68 million
people. (MacDonald et al., 2016)

22. ECOSYSTEM DEGRADATION
• Ecosystem degradation is already affecting the well-being of
at least 3.2 billion people – 40% of the world’s
population. (IPBES, 2018)
• Every year, the world loses 10 million hectares of forests – an
area the size of the Republic of Korea, or twice the size of
Costa Rica. (FAO and UNEP, 2020)
• Soil erosion and other forms of degradation are costing the
world more than $6 trillion a year in lost food production and
other ecosystem services. (Sutton et al., 2016)
• Approximately 30% of natural freshwater ecosystems have
disappeared since 1970.
• One third of global fish stocks are overexploited, up from 10%
in 1974.(FAO, 2020)

23. IMPACTS OF DEGRADATION ON
HUMAN WELL-BEING
• Around $10 trillion in global GDP could be lost by 2050 if
ecosystem services continue to decline.(Johnson et al., 2020)
• Land degradation could reduce global food productivity by 12%,
causing food prices to soar by up to 30% by 2040. (ELD, 2015)
• Up to 700 million people are predicted to migrate because of
land degradation and climate change by 2050. (IPBES, 2018)
• The decline in soil fertility in maize fields costs US farmers an
estimated half a billion dollars per year in extra fertilizer. (Jang et
al., 2020)
• Ecosystem degradation can increase contact between humans
and wildlife and has been linked to outbreaks of
diseases. (HLPE, 2017)

24. What does Ecosystem Restoration mean?
 The reason why ecosystem restoration is
essential is that ecosystems with rich
biodiversity provide increased timber, fertile soil
and fish besides acting as natural storehouses
of greenhouse emissions.
 Restored ecosystems can help remove 13 to 26
gigatons of greenhouse gases. Economic
benefits are huge — an estimated more than
nine times that of investment.
 And if no attempt is made to restore
ecosystems, it would cost thrice the cost of
restoration.

25. What does Ecosystem Restoration mean?
 The restoration of 350 million hectares of
degraded terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
by 2030 would alone generate $9 trillion in
ecosystem services.
 From farmlands to wetlands, all kinds of
ecosystems can be restored. Since the
causes of degradation are varied and differ
in scale, initiatives can be launched by
anyone at any level, including individual,
businesses and government bodies.

26. RESTORATION OPPORTUNITIES AND
BENEFITS
• Opportunities for restoration can be found on 2 billion
hectares of deforested and degraded forest land worldwide
– an area larger than South America.(WRI, 2011)
• Meeting the Bonn Challenge goal of restoring 350 million
hectares of degraded and deforested lands around the world
could create up to $9 trillion in net benefits.(Verdone and Seidl,
2017)
• Restoration through agroforestry alone has the potential to
increase food security for 1.3 billion people.(Smith et al., 2019)
• Restoring coral reefs in Mesoamerica and Indonesia could
deliver an additional $2.5–2.6 billion in ecosystem service
benefits per year. (ICRI, 2018)
• Restoration of forests and other watershed ecosystems
could save water utilities in the world’s largest cities $890
million each year in water treatment costs.(Shemie and
McDonald, 2014)

28. How can you help in restoring the
ecosystem?
 Join the #Generation Restoration movement. There are
three ways to join this movement, according to
the Ecosystem Restoration Playbook. These are clubbed
under ‘Action, Choices and Voices’.
 ‘Action’ includes your own initiative for restoration. This
includes joining existing projects or creating an alliance for
conservation and restoration. You can begin by planting
trees in your locality or cleaning up a nearby lake.
 ‘Choices’ mean becoming more aware of your
environmental footprint and taking steps to reduce it. You
can also support companies that help rebuild the
environment and donate to conservation initiatives. Even
moving to a plant-rich diet helps rebuild the environment.

29.  Under ‘Voices’, you are encouraged to make yourself
heard on matters of protecting the local environment.
This can be done through online campaigns or an
exhibition where messages about ecosystems can be
conveyed through artworks.
 You can even press those in the positions of power to
make decisions that help in the restoration of the
ecosystems around you.
 Basically, spread awareness about ecosystem
degradation and implore individuals as well as local
organizations to actively participate in restoration
efforts.
How can you help in restoring the ecosystem?

30. Keep our Environment green,
So it will be neat and clean.
Keep it tidy and nice,
It will keep away the rats and mice.
Don't drop it put in your pocket,
Even if it's a rusty old locket,
If you drop litter you will be fined,
But if you put it in the bin no one will mind.
By Paula
Butterflies fluttering around
Canoes moving slowly
across the subtle waves
Kids laughing and gawking
Bugs flying
Ducks fighting
Families grilling
Couples holding hands
This is relaxation
This is nature
By Donna Bella

31.  Consuming with care means living within
planetary boundaries to ensure a healthy future
where our dreams can be realized.
 Human prosperity need not cost the earth.
Living sustainably is about doing more and
better with less.
 It is about knowing that rising rates of natural
resource use and the environmental impacts
that occur are not a necessary by-product of
economic growth.
 WED is the opportunity for everyone to realize
the responsibility to care for the Earth and to
become agents of change.

33. THANK YOU