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World Environment Day is annually observed on 26th September. Established by the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) in 2011, World Environment Health Day raises awareness about environmental health and to take action for the preservation of natural resources.
The theme for this year is ‘Global Environmental Public Health: Standing Up To Protect Everyone’s Health Each and Every Day.’ Read this article to learn more about this important day and what lessons we must take to preserve our environment.
| Event | World Environment Health Day |
| Organised by | International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) |
| Date | 26th September |
| Theme | Global Environmental Public Health: Standing Up To Protect Everyone’s Health Each and Every Day |
| Objective | To raise awareness about environmental health and work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) |
| Official Website | https://www.ifeh.org/wehd/ |
Table of Contents
Also Read – Environmental Conservation
Background
In 2011, the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH) established World Environment Health Day with the objective of raising public awareness about the harmful impacts of human activities on environmental health. The IFEH was the first of its kind where global support from developed, developing and underdeveloped countries came together to care for environmental health and preserve the depletion of natural resources.
The IFEH leads all the activities and organises themes with specific targets for each year. Countries and organisations, members of the IFEH, organise events and activities at the local levels for the awareness of environmental health.
Theme
The theme for this year’s is ‘Global Environmental Public Health: Standing Up To Protect Everyone’s Health Each and Every Day.’ It’s the sole responsibility of the IFEH to set a unique theme for this day with specific targets and objectives that must be achieved in the stipulated time. Moreover, these themes are set in such a way that the ultimate goal of UN SDGs is achieved
The theme in the year 2022 was ‘Strengthening Environmental Health Systems for the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).’ It means we need to collectively work towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) so that what we have today can be saved for future generations.
Also Read – Career in Ecology and Environment
Importance of World Environment Health Day
The importance of World Environment Health Day is highlighted by the fact that because of human activities, environmental health is depleting, harming both living and non-living organisms. In this aspect, there’s an urgent need to raise awareness among people about environmental health and encourage them to participate in environmental-related activities.
- The objectives are closely linked with the United Nations SDGs, which will enhance the participation of people towards a single objective.
- This day can encourage people and global leaders to support activities related to environmental conservation.
- Volunteering for activities related to environmental conservation will help people realise that the limited natural resources we have today, must be conserved for future generations.
World Environment Health Day & United Nations SDGs
In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly announced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or the Global Goals, which are a set of 17 interconnected and ambitious goals. From then onwards, the IFEH aligned World Environment Health Day with these Global Goals. Since then, all member states of the IFEH have organised activities and discussions to achieve the SDGs.
The objectives of World Environment Health Day include 7 conditions of the United Nations SDGs, in which the key indicators of environmental health were highlighted.
- Agricultural Output
- Availability of drinking water
- Air Quality Index (AQI)
- Soil Contamination
- Temperature and Climate
- Food Safety
- Noise Pollution Levels
FAQs
A1. This day is annually observed on 26th September where activities and tasks are organised for the welfare of environmental health.
A2. Although India is not a member of the International Federation of Environmental Health (IFEH), people and other organisations still volunteer for activities related to environmental conservation, for which guidelines are set up by the IFEH.
A3. There are several ways in which a person can participate in World Environment Health Day at both individual and collective levels. You can start by using resources in a sustainable way to plant trees and make sure they are taken care of, or you can join an NGO which works towards the improvement of environmental health.
A4. World Environment Health Day works towards a single goal, that is, environmental conservation. On the other hand, Earth Day is celebrated for the Earth’s environment and raise awareness of threats to our planet’s health.
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