Today, June 5, we are celebrating World Environment Day with the theme “Reimagine. Recreate. Restore”. It is an annual event established by the UN General Assembly on the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment in 1972 as an avenue to raise awareness on environmental problems that the world is facing such as climate change, air pollution, sea-level increase, and illegal wildlife trade, among others. Furthermore, this day is also to remind humans of their vital role in environmental protection and conservation; and to encourage them to work towards achieving sustainable development of the environment despite the continuous utilization of natural resources for human needs and interests.
The theme Ecosystem Restoration recognizes the reality that our environment has already been damaged and compromised, and it needs urgent intervention for recovery to bring back a healthier ecosystem. The environment is everything the society is as it provides different ecosystem services. Moreover, with the restoration of the ecosystem, we can improve people’s livelihoods, combat climate change, and halt biodiversity loss, because every species on this planet benefits from it, but chooses to consume it heedlessly through exploitation for commercial uses and capitalism.
The Philippines, as one of the fastest-growing countries in Asia in terms of socio-economic, has been facing various environmental challenges and experiencing the worst ecological crisis as claimed by IBON Foundation, a non-profit research, education, and information-development institution in the country. In data, approximately 70% of the country’s geographical area is degraded due to soil erosion; and in 2015, the total forest cover of the Philippines have shrunk from 10.9 million hectares 45 years ago to 7 million hectares, which produce disproportionate impacts to marginalized sectors especially to women and children. Ineffective management and exclusive implementation of the policy have contributed to the degradation of the country’s significant biodiversity resources. According to the executive editor of the said foundation, Rosario Bella Guzman, that the deterioration of the ecosystem is caused by the few corporations, politicians, and other persons who have been constantly generating monetary surplus from land extraction, conversion, and dirty energy engineering. Moreover, the government’s environmental policy has been consistently neoliberal and pro-foreign, this is evident as the Duterte administration allows 100% foreign ownership in large-scale geothermal exploration, development, and utilization project; and lifted the nine-year moratorium on the new mineral agreement in the country that could intensify environmental problems.
The country’s tropical rainforest is one the most biologically diverse in the world, but it has also been among the most threatened. However, there are a lot of ways to reinstate our ecosystem, with World Environment Day, let us call for the protection and justice of our environmental defenders and conservationists. We should not be seen as just a mere antagonist of the environment but rather an agent of change transforming the system that considers the welfare and rights of humans and the environment and holds the government and corporations accountable.
This is the best time more than ever to speak out our truths, to speak out the cry of the environment, and do our part as stewards of the environment to let the whole world know, especially our leaders, that the problems of the environment are not just a mere concept but a reality; and it is happening now that is gradually killing us, the livelihood of people, the biodiversity, and the lives on Earth.
“The environment is where we all met; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share.” Lady Bird Johnson
5 June 2021
References
India Today, (2021). “World Environment Day 2021: History, Theme, Significance, and Quotes.” Retrieved from https://www.indiatoday.in/information/story/world-environment-day-2021-history-theme-significance-and-quotes-1810123-2021-06-03
Macaraeg, P. (2020). “PH Facing its ‘Worst Ecological Crisis’ – IBON Foundation.” Rappler. Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/environment/earth-day-2020-philippines-facing-worst-ecological-crisis-ibon-foundation?fbclid=IwAR2YI2DEwGKqbFeCSTbWXupGcbdDHrCasIpzvBA6SmLWzzZWXoCeru0ldnQ
Ocampo, C. et. al. (2021). “Duterte Lifs Nine-year Ban on New Mining Deals.” Inquirer.net
Rey, A. (2020). “Philippines Allows 100% Foreign Ownership in Large-scale Geothermal Project”. Rappler.
UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, (2021). “What is Ecosystem Restoration?” Retrieved from https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/what-ecosystem-restoration?fbclid=IwAR16bc-M_BZGK0x9Mmeg-nNFZU3z17BuqLwpeKIGcd-NjtLgJ_WnFQblZn0
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