World Environment Day: A rallying call to restore our ecosystems
UNEP Executive Director Inger Anderson's remarks as Pakistan announced to host of the 2021 World Environment Day I thank the Honorable Minister for inviting me to this press briefing. First of all, on behalf of the United Nations Environment Programme, I would like to thank Pakistan for offering to host the 2021 World Environment Day, which will be held on 5 June, on the theme of ecosystem restoration. Pakistan is integral to global efforts to combat the three interconnected environmental crises the world faces today, namely, climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste levels. In Pakistan these crises are manifested in air and water pollution, pestilent and erosive land-use practices, desertification and extreme weather events. According to a recent study, Pakistan is ranked 5th in vulnerability to climate change. The global restoration of ecosystems to their former glory is key to addressing those crises and to keep check of our consumption and production...