The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was held in Stockholm Sweden from 5-16 June in 1972, also known as the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. World Environment Day was established by the UN on 5th of June 1972, the first day of this conference, and after two years on 5 June, 1974.
It was celebrated with the theme ‘Only One Earth’. In 1987 the centre for the activities was decided to be rotated every year so that different countries can host it. For almost the last five decades WED is being celebrated on 5 June every year by more than 143 countries and awareness of environmental issues with action for the protection of our environment are being encouraged. This year Colombo in partnership with Germany is hosting WED and this year its theme is ‘It’s Time for Nature’.
WED 2020 will be different in nature of its celebration as gatherings for activities, programs, sapling plantation etc. by institutions NGOs and Organizations won’t be possible due to the pandemic. Different organizations, institutions, NGOs and concerned departments are celebrating world environment day 2020 through different online modes with a number of online activities.
This year as we are celebrating WED, the world observes healthy environment than the previous year due to lockdown followed by COVID-19 in almost every country of the world which healed the ailing planet as transport, factories, human activities and human interventions with nature almost stopped worldwide for months.
Since lockdown began in response to the COVID-19 pandemic which led to no traffic and closed factories, the amount of air pollutants drastically reduced globally. According to the American Geophysical Union, the levels of two major Air pollutants Nitrogen Dioxide and Particulate Matter has been reduced drastically over northern China, Western Europe, and the US decreased by 60% in early 2020 as compared to its concentration to the same time last year. Such a significant drop in emission is unprecedented since Air quality monitoring from satellites began in the 1990s said Jenny Stavrakou, an atmospheric scientist at the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB) in Brussels and co-author of research publication.
An analysis by Central Pollution Control Board of India revealed a massive reduction in air pollutant concentration of major cities of South India during the lockdown. Significant reduction of Nitrogen Dioxide and Particulate Matter 2.5 in the air was recorded in Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Due to clear and clean atmosphere as a result of a reduction in air pollutants, Indians in the city of Jalandhar and nearby areas claimed to see the Himalayan mountain range after decades.
An analysis showed India’s CO2 emissions fall for the first time in four decades amid lockdown. Due to lockdown result in halted industrial activities the wastewater loaded with pollutants and solid waste stopped flowing as a result of which rivers and water bodies got cleaned globally. Indian major rivers Ganga and Yamuna which were waiting to be cleaned by Government since a long time are carrying pure water during the time of this lockdown.
The water quality of river Ganga at Haridwar has been classified as fit for drinking which is an unprecedented success which the ambitious schemes of government could not do for years even after spending thousands of crores. According to Uttrakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board, there have been 34% reduction in Faecal Coliform and 20 percent reduction in Biochemical Oxygen Demand in Ganga’s water at Haridwar. Whereas the Dissolved Oxygen level of Yamuna water is above 5mg/L which is recommended level for bathing in a river which was just a dream before lockdown.
Amid lockdown animals particularly wild animals reclaiming their space and take to the city streets as humans remain under lockdown. Fishing reduced result in the recovery of fish biomes at fishing sites, Turtles spotted returning to areas they once left to lay their eggs due to human interference. Now it is the matter of debate for a time being that whether these improvements in the environment’s health will end soon post-lockdown or will be long-lasting.
With these positive effects of lockdown, some negative effects have also been observed with hunting and poaching, forest cutting by mafias, human ignited forest fires, smuggling of wood and forest products etc. Unchecked electric circuits and other technical systems in dormant factories amid lockdown are said to be the cause for some of the recent accidents in factories.
Recent bushfires in Brazil, US and Australia result in loss of billions of animal lives, Locust infestation across East Africa and now upto Pakistan and India, Cyclone Amphan and COVID-19 Pandemic like natural calamities also witnessed the last few months.
Environmental experts think that it would be good for the future environment if some well-planned lockdowns can be done every year for few weeks or on weekends as lockdown has been really effective in reducing pollution and recovering biodiversity.
It can be concluded that as we witness this year’s world environment day it will be a unique experience amid lockdown as activities related to WED-2020 will be through online mode. At the same time, we observe that nature itself took the initiative to heal the environment as human fail to do the same and Pandemic affected almost every part of the world and resultant lockdown is improving the environment’s health. It seems that this time nature is in revenge mood because humans being just 0.01% have destroyed wilderness brutally in recent decades. Pollution level whether its Air, Water or Land, decreased drastically. Natural calamities like Bushfires, Locust infestation, COVID-19 and Cyclone Amphan also witnessed the recent months.
About the author: Imtiaz Ahmed is a Ph.D Research Scholar at National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Delhi.