June 5 World Environme Day and the Black Sea Coastal Zone

World Environment Day is a day marked in the calendar of ecological events on June 5, every year, to raise awareness of the importance of respecting the environment, but also to take the necessary measures to protect it. An important event, marked since 1974 by the United Nations (UN) and hosted every year by a different country, through activities focused on a specific theme.

In particular, the 2024 theme of World Environment Day is “Land restoration, desertification and drought resilience”, as indicated by the website https://www.unep.org /.

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is the main environmental authority in the United Nations system. UNEP uses its expertise to strengthen environmental standards and practices, while contributing to the implementation of environmental obligations at national, regional and global levels.

34 years ago, Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrius I of Constantinople issued an encyclical inviting all Christians to pray for the protection of the environment. On this occasion, September 1 was instituted as the World Day of Prayer for the Protection of Creation.

In 2024, the World Environment Day is hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a fact that shows that environmental problems have finally entered the attention of rich countries.

Land restoration, strengthening nature’s resistance to the great challenges that await us, is a key pillar of the “UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration” (2021-2030), a cry for help for the protection and revitalization of ecosystems around the world,

In 2021, June 5th also marked the official launch of the “UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration”, a drive to stop and reverse the decline of the natural world, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2021-2030 the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration , which aims to expand the restoration of degraded and destroyed ecosystems, as a proven measure to combat the climate crisis and improve food security, water supply and biodiversity.

The UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration is a global wake-up call for healing the planet. There has never been a more urgent need than now to bring damaged ecosystems back to life, practically a critical point has been reached where the lack of measures to restore the increasingly damaged ecosystems, to restore links with Nature, can lead to irreversible changes.

The health of natural ecosystems supports all life on Earth. Currently, a particularly serious situation has been reached, thus, up to 40% of the planet’s lands are degraded, which directly affects half of the world’s population. The more functional, healthier natural ecosystems are, the more protected the existence of the Planet and the existence of people.

World Environment Day represents a welcome signal and a call to act unitedly to save our natural heritage, which we have the duty to preserve unaltered for future generations. Through these actions, we want to increase the interaction with as many target groups as possible, especially young people, and to promote among them a responsible attitude regarding the environment and sustainable development.

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration aims to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation on every continent and in every ocean. This can help eliminate poverty, fight climate change, prevent a mass extinction, and it will only succeed if everyone gets involved, .

The area of the Black Sea and the riparian countries is a particularly vulnerable area not only due to the pollution and degradation of the existing ecosystems caused by human activities, but also to the natural phenomena of aridification and erosion of the coastal areas due to the lack of forest vegetation and climate changes.

On a local level, the Constanța Environmental Guard together with the 5th grade students of the “Adrian V. Rădulescu” Secondary School in Murfatlar. celebrated this day by carrying out the following activities:

– the discovery of numerous species of plants and animals in the Fântânița-Murfatlar Reserve;

– children proudly told us that the steppe peony blooms in the reserve in their town;.

– at their initiative, at the entrance to the reservation, a panel was mounted on which it is represented Peony – the national symbol flower of Romania.

HOW WE CAN GET INVOLVED

Find out about the annual theme of this day and join an environmental action in your community;
Participates in the information and education, greening activities carried out by the environmental and non-governmental, both on this day and throughout the year;
Consumes natural or food resources responsibly and avoids waste;
Protects nature and does not take actions that may harm natural ecosystems.

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Author: Nastac Maria & Muntoiu Alexandru – ECOM Team Romania