KATHMANDU, June 5: World Environment Day is being celebrated today with the theme "Beat Plastic Pollution: Our Responsibility” in various nations of the world. In Nepal too, various events are being held in different venues to commemorate the Day.
Following a call by the United Nations, World Environment Day has been celebrated annually on June 5 since 1973. According to the UN, this year the global event is being specially hosted by South Korea.
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As per UN data, around 400 million tons of plastic waste is produced each year globally. Of this, only 10 percent is recycled, while approximately 11 million tons end up in rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Today is also the International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. This observance was initiated in 2017 following a call by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
FAO emphasizes that ending illegal fishing practices is crucial to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. According to the FAO, between 11 and 26 million tons of fish are caught illegally each year, causing a loss of billions of dollars.
