World Environment Day 2021: Restoring Ecosystems - Key Points To Know

The World Environment Day on June 5 will see the launch the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The Environment Day this year calls for commiment to protect the ecosystems, which support the livelihood of millions of people globally. The theme of World Environment Day this year is: Ecosystem restoration. "The world must deliver on its commitment to restore at least 1 billion degraded hectares of land in the next decade to tackle the climate crisis, save species from extinction and secure our future," the UN said ahead of Environment Day. 

World Environment Day 2021: How can countries restore ecosystems

Here's what the UN Environment Programme says on "saving species from extinction and securing our future".

• Need to slash greenhouse gas emissions by nearly half by 2030 to hold global warming below 2 degrees
• We can't meet that goal without restoring ecosystems and their carbon stores. 
• By halting and reversing the degradation of lands and oceans, we can prevent the loss of 1 million endangered species. 
• Scientists say restoring only 15 per cent of ecosystems in priority areas can cut extinctions by 60 per cent by improving habitats.

In the last nearly two years, the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted normal lives. The impact has been dangerous and far-reaching. The relationship between human systems and natural systems has been badly hit. Ecosystem degradation is already affecting the well-being of at least 3.2 billion people - 40% of the world's population, according to a UN study. The World Environment Day 2021 campaign - "Recreate, Reimagine, Restore" - focuses on reversing the degradation of our ecosystems.