SINCE 1974, the World Environment Day is commemorated every year on June 5. This year’s theme ‘Only One Earth’ emphasises the need for living sustainably and in harmony with Nature. The theme also underscores the fact that time is running out to restore balance between the humans and the environment.

We are all fully aware of the grim truth that the Earth is currently confronted with three major crises; climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Because of widespread use of fossil fuels, overexploitation of forests, and intensive farming, the climate has already got warmer by about 1°C since pre-industrial times, causing seasons to shift and storms to intensify, while floods, droughts, heatwaves and wildfires are becoming more common and much more devastating.

Human growth has also resulted in the loss of essential ecosystems, such as deforestation to make space for cultivation and habitation. Rare plant and animal communities are being wiped out by logging, overfishing and the illicit wildlife trade. Agricultural nutrients, soil erosion sediments and waste plastic debris, on the other hand, all contribute to pollution.

Overall, these interconnected problems are the consequence of our unsustainable use of the planet’s resources, putting an estimated one million species at risk of extinction and poisoning our air, land and water. Air pollution, much of it caused by the combustion of fossil fuels, is projected to cause seven million premature deaths each year.

Therefore, addressing Earth’s interlinked environmental and socio-economic concerns necessitates a comprehensive approach. For this, we must act immediately to address these issues by systematic, transformative changes in how we eat, live, work and move around. We can even halt the loss of biodiversity.

We have the ability to safeguard and restore degraded ecosystems. We can improve the quality of our air, water and soil. We can mend our relationship with environment, while still achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were agreed upon in 2015.

Some key areas for action to consider include phasing out fossil fuels, introducing policies that incentivise renewable energy, promoting energy efficiency, encouraging clean transportation initiatives, opting for sustainable agriculture, halting and reversing deforestation, conserving biodiversity, banning, restricting or taxing consumption of single-use plastics, improving waste management systems, and engaging local indigenous and faith communities to understand how to strengthen compliance with laws and policies designed to protect ecosystems.

The thing to remember is that there are billions of galaxies in the cosmos, and billions of planets in our galaxy, but there is only one Earth. Let’s take care of it.

Dr Ainy Zehra
Karachi

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2022