World Environment Day 2024

Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and held annually on 5 June since 1973, World Environment Day is the largest global platform for environmental public outreach and is celebrated by millions of people across the world. In 2024, it is hosted by Saudi Arabia.

Ecosystem restoration represents one of the most vital nature-based solutions for addressing food insecurity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and biodiversity loss.

This year’s focus is on the loss and degradation of natural spaces essential to human survival, from forests and drylands to farmlands and lakes.

According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, up to 40 per cent of the planet’s land is degraded, directly affecting half of the world’s population.

The UN-Water SDG 6 Data Portal shows progress towards Sustainable Development Goal target 6.6 (to protect and restore water-related ecosystems) by tracking changes over time in lakes, rivers, wetlands and mangroves, with the help of earth observations (indicator 6.6.1).

• Find out more about World Environment Day 2024 here. 
• Explore UNEP’s new report, Becoming #GenerationRestoration: Ecosystem Restoration for People, Nature and Climate here. 
• Open up the UN-Water SDG 6 Data Portal on SDG 6 indicator 6.6.1 here.