Erick Burgueño Salas
Research expert covering climate change and the water industry
To urge governments to undertake activities that promote the preservation and enhancement of the environment, that was the purpose of the proclamation of the first World Environment Day (WED). The United Nations established WED in 1972 during the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment to encourage worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment. Since its inception in 1974, the event has become a global public outreach platform.
On June 5th every year, WED is observed to raise awareness about environmental issues like climate change, marine pollution, overpopulation, restoring habitats, and sustainable consumption . Individuals, governments, and socially responsible companies usually mark the day with eco-friendly initiatives.
Despite being at the forefront when it comes to water scarcity matters, concerns have been raised due to the conflict of interest that Saudi Arabia hosting a high-level environmental protection event could bring. The country is the second largest oil producer in the world, with an average output of 12 million barrels per day. The production and use of fossil fuels are one of the main drivers of global warming, which intensifies the frequency and severity of extreme weather events like prolonged droughts.
Humankind must move towards a more drought resilient future. The WED 2024 will open the discussions to make this happen and will pave the way for a successful UNCCD summit that hopes to transform pledges into strategies and actions to combat desertification.
On June 5th every year, WED is observed to raise awareness about environmental issues like climate change, marine pollution, overpopulation, restoring habitats, and sustainable consumption . Individuals, governments, and socially responsible companies usually mark the day with eco-friendly initiatives.
The theme of WED 2024: #GenerationRestoration
WED 2024 focuses on land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience through the campaign #GenerationRestoration. Saudi Arabia is hosting the occasion, a country committed to fighting against water scarcity and land degradation, issues that hit the Arabian Peninsula hardly. The country will be also hosting the 16th session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in December 2024, showcasing the initiative of the Middle Eastern region towards a sustainable land management.Despite being at the forefront when it comes to water scarcity matters, concerns have been raised due to the conflict of interest that Saudi Arabia hosting a high-level environmental protection event could bring. The country is the second largest oil producer in the world, with an average output of 12 million barrels per day. The production and use of fossil fuels are one of the main drivers of global warming, which intensifies the frequency and severity of extreme weather events like prolonged droughts.
The drought problem
Rising temperatures are altering weather patterns across the world, making extreme climate events more frequent and stronger. In the past ten years, almost 780 million people have been affected by droughts worldwide, and this number is expected to rise in the coming decades. If the planet reaches a temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, around one billion people will be exposed to water and heat stress, as well as desertification. Droughts and desertification increase food insecurity and can also cause forced migration and violent conflicts triggered by lack of water.Humankind must move towards a more drought resilient future. The WED 2024 will open the discussions to make this happen and will pave the way for a successful UNCCD summit that hopes to transform pledges into strategies and actions to combat desertification.
