World Environment DayIn 1972, the UN General Assembly designated 5 June as World Environment Day (WED). The first celebration, under the slogan “Only One Earth” took place in 1973. In the following years,

 WED has developed as a platform to raise awareness on the problems facing our environment such as air pollution, plastic pollution, illegal wildlife trade, sustainable consumption, sea-level increase, and food security, among others. Furthermore, WED helps drive change in consumption patterns and in national and international environmental policy.

The 2024 edition of World Environment Day will focus on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience, under the slogan “Our Land. Our Future. We are #GenerationRestoration”, as the year marks the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

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 and threatening roughly half of global GDP (US$44 trillion). The number and duration of droughts has increased by 29 per cent since 2000 – without urgent action, droughts may affect over three-quarters of the world’s population by 2050.

Land restoration is a key pillar of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems all around the world, which is critical to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Each year, World Environment Day is hosted by a different country in which official celebrations take place. The host country for 2024 is Saudi Arabia, which will host the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to UNCCD, from 2 to 13 December 2024.

As a global hub for environmental governance, Geneva plays an important role in the global response to desertification, land degradation, and drought (DLDD). With leading organizations on environmental issues, nature conservation, water, health, human rights and many relevant areas of work, Geneva hosts a strong expertise to contribute to global processes tackling DLDD. From addressing the impacts and preventing the risks posed by this crisis on people and the planet to developing policies to halt DLDD, stakeholders from Geneva also play a role in making links to address other environmental crises.

World Environment Day is the perfect occasion to explore the nature in your surroundings. Discover our suggestions below and find many more on the platform “Dans ma nature” from the Canton of Geneva. For hiking lovers, the interactive map from SwissMobile highlights national, regional and local hiking trails.

The Nature Centre Pointe-à-la-bise is located in the heart of a unique nature reserve on the shores of Lake Geneva. This exceptional natural area is home to a magnificent reed bed which is the home to many wild species.

The Nature Centre of the Allondon Valley is an open door to discover the wonders of nature, located in an exceptional site on the banks of the Allondon, a tributary of the Rhône and an important floodplain biotope. It offers various fun, educational and relaxing activities related to nature. A hiking path also follows the river.