By Dr. Deepak Kumar Srivastava Principal (Shikshak Shree Recipient-2019, U.P.Govt.) Career Convent Girls P.G. College, Lucknow, U.P., India
World Environment Day 2021 will be celebrated on 5th June 2021 every year across the world. World Environment Day 2021 iconic activities are hosted by Pakistan partnership with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The theme of World Environment Day 2021 is ‘Ecosystem Restoration’and focus on resetting our relation with naturewhich runs from 2021-2030. Word Environment Day was established by UN General Assembly on the first day of the Stockholm Conference on Human Environment which was held in Stockholm Sweden from June 5- 6 in 1972. In 1974, the first Word Environment Day was celebrated with the theme “Only One Earth”. Ecosystem Restoration denotes assisting in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded by activities like pollution and deforestation. Ecosystem Restoration can also be promoted by conserving the ecosystems that are still intact. Healthy ecosystem and rich biodiversity yield greater benefits such as more fertile soils, bigger yields of fish and timber.
Ecosystem restoration can take many forms such as planting trees, greening cities, rewinding gardens, changing diets or cleaning up rivers and coasts.Ecological restoration is the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged or destroyed. Ecological restoration has as its goal an ecosystem that is resilient and self-sustaining with respect to structure, species composition and function, as well as being integrated into the larger landscape and supporting sustainable livelihoods.Many healthy ecosystems are a product of human endeavours over very long time periods and therefore restoration commonly requires the participation of resource dependent communities. In this respect ecological restoration supports conservation and sustainable development efforts worldwide. All types of ecosystems can be restored, including forests, farmlands, cities, wetlands, oceans& coastal, peatland, mountain, freshwater Grasslands, shrublands, and savannahs. According to the UN, “we are losing about 4.7 million hectares of tropical forest every year.Freshwater ecosystems are some of the most degraded, facing pollution via chemicals, plastics, and sewage outflows, overfishing, and draining to irrigate crops and generate power. Benefits of Forest restoration providehealthy trees and forestsfilter and absorb air pollutants, release oxygen for us to breathe, provide wild habitat, hold soil together and also protect from UV rays etc. Rivers are dammed, mined for sand and gravel, and canalized.To protect our freshwater ecosystems, we first need to stop polluting them, manage fishing and mining more effectively, remove or improve dams, restore wetlands, and reduce the amount of water we extract from them. Unfortunately, Grasslands, shrublands, and savannahs ecosystems have historically been degraded through a combination of over-exploitation and poor management. Riparian zones and oases with nutrients and water are converted into cropland, overgrazing increases soil erosion and leaves them vulnerable to invasive species, and human-wildlife conflicts dial up the pressure exerted on these incredibly important regions.It is very important to restore these areas can involve clearing invasive vegetation and re-seeding native grasses, re-introducing native flora and fauna, and planting trees where they naturally would grow to restore wildlife habitat.
Restoration initiatives can be launched by almost anyone, from governments and development agencies to businesses, communities and individuals. That is because the causes of degradation are many and varied, and can have an impact at different scales.Reforesting mountain slopes can protect the soil, conserve water flows, and reduce natural disasters like avalanches, landslides, and floods that destroy ecosystems and threaten communities.
There are two major challenges involved when undertaking ecological restoration. One is how to undertake restoration across large areas comprising a variety of land-uses. The second is how to equitably balance the trade-offs between improving biodiversity conservation and improvements in human well-being. For example Mau forest in Kenya.Restoration Process: It is a multistep process: 1-Assessing the site cause of disturbance and method to stop.2-Deciding project goals-Study of historical detail.3-Removing disturbance cause of disturbances is removed. 4-Restoring Process Whether natural phenomena such as flood is enough to restore.5-Restoring Vegetation can be planted as seed.6-Monitoring and maintenance-whether goals are achieved or not. Due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdown activities has resulted in numerous positive effects to the environment and climate.
Restoring ecosystems large and small protects and improves the livelihoods of people who depend on them. It also helps to regulate disease and reduce the risk of natural disasters. In fact, restoration can help us achieve all of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Corporate Comm India (CCI Newswire)
