Thailand Joins World Environment Day: Be Part of #GenerationRestoration!

Happy World Environment Day! #GenerationRestoration 

This year, World Environment Day, celebrated on June 5th and hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, focuses on a crucial topic: land restoration, combating desertification, and building resilience against drought. The theme for 2024 is "Our Land. Our Future. We are #GenerationRestoration." 

Did you know that Saudi Arabia itself is no stranger to land degradation? With 10% of its land already degraded, they understand the challenges all too well. But here's the inspiring part:  Saudi Arabia is leading the way with innovative solutions, proving that restoration truly works. Give nature half a chance, and it will bounce back! They'll be sharing their valuable lessons with the world on this Environment Day. 

Now let's talk about our region, Asia and the Pacific. We're blessed with incredible biodiversity, but land-use changes, deforestation, and unsustainable practices are taking a toll. Healthy soil is vital - it stores massive amounts of carbon, and losing it would accelerate global warming. Water stress and reduced biodiversity are also major concerns. 

Here's a sobering fact: globally, we lose the equivalent of a football field's worth of soil every 5 seconds! Yet, it takes a thousand years to generate just 3 centimetres of topsoil. We need to act now! 

The good news is, there's hope. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is driving solutions to protect and revive ecosystems around the world, including here in Asia and the Pacific. By restoring our land, we can build resilience against drought and climate change, and secure a healthy planet for future generations. 

Be part of the solution! Thailand is actively participating in a special online event on June 5th, hosted by UNEP and ESCAP. This event will discuss solutions for land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience in our region. Learn about practical solutions like circular water use, sustainable food production, and drought-resilient urban development. 

This event will also feature a focus on Local Government Action, with an example from Bangkok.  Hear from Pornphrom Vikistreth, Advisor to the Governor of Bangkok, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, about their efforts! 

Join the event virtually! 

Registration: https://indico.un.org/event/1011718/ 

Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/92551030591 (Passcode: WED@5June) 

Event Schedule: https://www.unep.org/events/unep-event/asia-pacific-commemoration-world-environment-day-2024 

Let's all be part of #GenerationRestoration! Let's protect our land and build a brighter future for all. 

References:  
https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/about/theme-host 
https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/saudi-arabia-host-world-environment-day-2024-focus-land-restoration 
https://www.unep.org/events/unep-event/asia-pacific-commemoration-world-environment-day-2024 
https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/