We are part of the environment too...

A CORRESPONDENT

NUMALIGARH: United Nations in 1972 introduced the World Environment Day and its aim is to encourage global awareness of environmental issues. This is the opportunity that the people need so as to become the true actors of a sustainable and ethical development. In order to guarantee a clean and safe environment for future generations, this day focuses on international cooperation and the participation of everyone. The theme for this year's World Environment Day is 'Celebrate Biodiversity'.

The theme is a concern that is both urgent and existential. The recent events - from wildfires in Amazon, the United States and Australia, to locust infestations across many countries of Asia and the Middle East and now a global pandemic like COVID-19 – demonstrate the interdependence of human beings and the webs of life in which they exist.

The conservation of species and of our planet's ecosystem has raised the major issue concerning the natural diversity of living organisms. Poor management of protected sites, pollution and climate change have jeopardized the existence of numerous animal and plant species. Human activities such as deforestation and intensive industrialization are harmful to living organisms and dry up water resources, endangering human beings themselves. Now that the lives of human beings are at stake, most of us will talk about environment, biodiversity, global warming and so on. But for how long will we keep these in our minds and stay concerned about these issues?

When we talk about protecting our environment we often refer to terms like deforestation, climate change, air pollution and water pollution. None but humans are wholly responsible for all these causes that have posed a serious threat to the environment and nature. Humans are a part of the environment; they live in it, from it and with it. All these interactions shape our natural world. If we really want to protect our environment, we need to realize that human activities shape the landscape, creating characteristic ecological heterogeneity and biodiversity patterns.

We need to prioritize and understand the scientific research on the environmental structure, role, potential and current challenges to it. Talking broadly only on a single day, that is, on World Environment Day, will not undo the odds and atrocities that we humans have caused to the environment or our ecosystem.

Due to paucity of knowledge and information, coupled with a lack of political support, there has been little effective interest among common masses in conservation planning and actions to date. To explore the challenges and opportunities for this integration, our government as well as the private education system needs to be feed with mainstream environmental studies. Apart from the traditional studies of the environmental sciences in different stages of primary and secondary education levels, we need to inject real life case studies, current threats and challenges to the environment in the course studies of our students.

Topics like how our daily actions influence the eco system and clear pictures of the possible ways to avoid catastrophic man-made disasters should be injected into the syllabus. Sound syllabi will present the role of people in conservation while stressing their key role in halting the degradation of landscapes and biodiversity. Participatory activities, including reviews of challenging case studies, will provide a space for discussion across disciplines.

This will result in the first outline of a roadmap for the integration of daily life practices of conservation and people will focus on mainstream conservation policies for protection of the environment and bio-diversity itself.  

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