Environment Day Celebration Organized by NSS Unit SF9
Veneue : Online
Date : 05th June 2021
Theme: ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION
Inaugural Session : 12:30 to 01:00 PM
Prayer : Ms Anila P J. I B.Sc Geography
Welcome Speech : Ms Farhana I, I B.Sc Chemistry
Presidential Address : Dr. Tomy Antony, Principal, YIMS
Inaugural Address : Rev. Dr. Mathew George Vazhayil, Director, YIMS
Keynote Address : Rev. Dr. Lalu Olikkal, Vice Principal, YIMS
Message : Dr. M Ramachandran, HoD, Geography, YIMS
Vote of Thanks : Ms. Divya, I B.Sc Psychology
National Anthem : Ms Athulya Sathish, I B.Sc Psychology
Planting the Tree saplings
Coordinators: Mr. Chandrasekar M, Ms. Anjana K V
World Environment Day 2021 calls for urgent action to revive our damaged ecosystems.
From forests to peat lands 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.
RATES OF DESTRUCTION
We are losing and destroying the foundations of our survival at an alarming rate. Over 4.7 million hectares of forests – an area larger than Denmark – are lost every year. That’s one football pitch every three seconds. Over half of the world’s wetlands have disappeared in the last century. Ecosystem loss is depriving the world of carbon sinks, like forests and peat lands, at 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 corona viruses – to spread. But we can build back better.
SOLUTIONS
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. But 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.
URGENCY TO ACT
World Environment Day 2021 will see the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration: A global rallying cry for everyone – from governments to corporations and citizens – to do their part in healing our ailing planet.
While a decade sounds like a long time, it is these next 10 years that scientists tell us matter most in preventing catastrophic climate change and bending the curve on biodiversity loss. The timeline also overlaps with the UN Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Ecosystems are our lifeline and underpin all 17 goals.
THE BUSINESS CASE FOR RESTORATION
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.
