Norway to Host World Environment Day 2007

A Nordic country in the frontline of climate change has been chosen by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to host the main celebrations of World Environment Day 2007.

World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action.

The day's agenda is to give a human face to environmental issues; empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development; promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues; and advocate partnership which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future. World Environment Day is also a people's event with colourful activities such as street rallies, bicycle parades, green concerts, essays and poster competitions in schools, tree planting, as well as recycling and clean-up campaigns.

A range of events, reflecting the threats from global warming to the people and wildlife across the world, are to be staged in Norway’s most northerly city Tromsø as well as the capital Oslo and other Norwegian cities. 2007 also marks the start of International Polar Year.

Shafqat Kakakhel, Deputy Executive Director and Officer in Charge of UNEP, said: "The Polar Regions are some of the most hauntingly beautiful places on Earth. They are also nature’s early warning systems where human-induced climate change, the thinning of the ozone layer up to the impacts of persistent chemical pollution continue to be registered first”.

”The Arctic is also increasingly becoming a new economic powerhouse for minerals, oil and gas extraction and shipping—partly as a result of the receeding ice due to climate change. Both polar regions are also seeing increased interest from tourism and the fisheries industry keen to exploit their vast and abundant fish stocks. These all present opportunities and threats to indigenous peoples living there and for the world as a whole which will be reflected in the WED themes next year,” he added.

World Environment Day has been celebrated annually since 1972. Over the years, the day has focused on such issues as acid rain, oceans, water, and green cities.

For more information, visit their website at http://www.unep.org/wed/

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