World Nature Conservation Day is celebrated annually on 28th July. This day is celebrated all over the world to create awareness about the conservation of natural resources and on environmental issues.
Aim: To focus our efforts on preserving our natural environment and keeping our home, Earth, healthy.
Significance of the day
i.The day ensures the well-being of the present and the future generations.
ii.Global warming, Ozone layer depletion are some of the severe problems which need to be focused.
iii.The population explosion results in depletion of natural resources.
iv.Urbanization has led to issues like loss of wildlife habitat, loss of forest areas which has to be controlled.
Restoration Initiatives in India
The Government of India has taken 5 measures to restore the natural resources.
i.Nagar Van Udyan
- Aim – To create at least one forest in each city having Municipal Corporation for providing “wholesome natural environment”.
- It is a five-year scheme implemented from the year 2015 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climatic Change (MoEFCC).
- The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change introduced this scheme on June 5th, 2020 as World Environment Day 2020.
- The scheme was previously implemented on a pilot basis in the name of Nagar Van Udyan Yojana.
- The plan also aims to create 200 city forests in the country.
- A Budget of Rs. 2.00 crores per City Forest is provided by the ministry of Government in which 80% is covered by the Ministry and 20% is covered by the state Government.
ii.Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
- The project was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 2nd October 2014.
- Slogan -One step towards cleanliness
- The major aim of this project is to improve the waste management rules and to reduce the amount of waste produced.
- The rules were structured in 2016 to fit the objective of Swachh Bharat.
- ‘Spot fine’ were made on littering waste on the roads and waste pickers and waste dealers were created jobs and encouraged.
iii.Project Tiger
- The project was introduced in the year 1973 to eradicate the diminishing count of the tigers
- The project was sponsored by the MoEFCC.
- The objectives of this project include protection, habitat restoration, day to day monitoring, eco-development for local people in buffer areas, voluntary relocation of people from main tiger habitats, and addressing human-wildlife conflicts, under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- The project had successfully helped to increase the numbers of tigers from 1,710 in 2011 to 2,226 in 2014
iv.Mangroves for the future (MFF)
- This was initiated by the International Union for conservation of Nature (IUCN) and co-chaired by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to restore the mangrove forests.
- It is initiated to promote investment in coastal ecosystem conservation for sustainable development.
- The project covers six places that were affected by the Tsunami including, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Seychelles, Srilanka and Thailand.
- The National Coordination Body of India was constituted under this project which recognized 42 sites and 4 coral reefs for restoration
- A Budget of Rs. 11. 37 crores has been allocated for this project and more than 100 Square Kilometers of the forest has been increased.
- Click here to read complete info about MFF
v.National Wetland Conservation Programme
- The projects aim to conserve the shallow water areas associated with wildlife.
- Upto 115 wetlands were found in India.
Other Initiatives
i.Reduction of the use of Plastics by the year 2022 insisted by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
ii.Project Elephant was initiated in the year 1922 that aims to conserve the elephants and their habitat.
iii.Sea Turtle Project, Vulture Conservation, Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) were brought up to preserve the animals that are at the verge of extinction.
Some Acts passed to preserve the biodiversity
i.Indian Forest Act (1927)
ii.Wildlife Protection Act (1972)
iii.Environment Protection Act (1986)
iv.Forest Conservation Act (1980)
Recent Related News
i.June 5th of every year is celebrated as the World Environment Day. The aim of the day is to create awareness on the effect of human demands on biodiversity. The Theme of World Environment Day 2020 is “Biodiversity”.
The activities of World Environment Day 2020 will be hosted by Colombia in partnership with Germany.
ii.“Nagar Van” (Urban forest) Scheme launched virtually by the Central Govt. on June 5, the occasion of the World Environment Day 2020 (WED) announcing the implementation to develop urban forests across the country over the span of 5 years.
About Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climatic Change (MoEFCC):
Headquarters – New Delhi, India
Cabinet Minister – Prakash Javadekar (Constituency – Maharashtra)
