05 June: World Environment Day

Every year World Environment Day (WED) is observed on 5 June to raise global awareness to take positive environmental action to protect nature and the planet Earth.
2016 Theme: Go Wild for Life (Zero tolerance for the illegal trade in wildlife) This year’s theme seeks to encourage conservation of all those species under threat and calls for taking action to help safeguard them for future generations.
2016 Host Country: Angola. The African country is seeking to restore its elephant’s herds, conserve biodiversity-rich wildlife. It also seeks to safeguard the environment as it continues to rebuild after more than a quarter-century of civil war.
Observing this day is global initiative of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). To mark this day Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu flagged off Tiger Express from Safdarjung station, New Delhi. It is a semi-luxury tourist train launched with an aim to spread awareness among people on tiger conservation.

About World Environment Day (WED)

• WED was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of United Nations Conference on the Human Environment 1972 which began in Stockholm.
• The first World Environment Day was observed in 1973 and since then it is being held every year with a different themes.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2016