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From countries taking action on policy issues to people raising their voices #ForNature, shows how World Environment Day was a major 2020 milestone featuring how biodiversity provides critical services for all of use.

How drought destroys lives and what we can do about it

A thick water pipe snakes its way from Sudan’s White Nile River for over two kilometres, pumping into a large reservoir in Al Jabalain locality, where thousands of saplings are growing. The tree nursery has a capacity to produce 200,000 saplings a year – the fruit of a partnership between the Sudan’s forestry body, the Forests National Corporation (FNC), and . Refugees and their hosts together plant one million trees in a massive reforestation drive in Sudan’s White Nile State.

Land degradation affects some 3.2 billion people. Poverty, political instability, deforestation, overgrazing and bad irrigation practices can all undermine the productivity of the land. The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed every year to promote public awareness of international efforts to combat this issue. This year’s theme, “” is focused on changing public attitudes towards the leading driver of desertification: humanity’s relentless production and consumption. Join the celebration through ’s  .

Nature is sending us a clear message. We are harming the natural world – to our own detriment. And now, a new coronavirus is raging, undermining health and livelihoods. To care for humanity, we MUST care for nature. We need our entire global community to change course.

World Environment Day is the most renowned day for environmental action since 1974, but we are still struggling to meet our commitment our planet. It would take 1.6 Earths to meet the demands that humans make on nature each year. This year it is . The 2020 focus of the observance is on biodiversity – a concern that is both urgent and existential. Recent events, from bushfires in Brazil, the United States, and Australia to locust infestations across East Africa – and now, a global disease pandemic – demonstrate the interdependence of humans and the webs of life.

A pandemic allows for a “what if” moment: How to champion biodiversity as the world stands still

From mangrove to mountain: Building coastal resilience in Timor-Leste

A ‘blue’ economy implies some measure of alignment between economic development and the health of the ocean. helps Seychelles, consisting of about 115 islands, strike that balance.

If you take care of the land, it will take care of you, says Tsefaye Kidane, a coffee farmer in southwest Ethiopia. When he took over the farm from his father, Kidane said the soil quality was poor and crops erratic, their irregularity exacerbated by the ravages of climate change and decades of land degradation. With support from the , Kidane has turned the situation around. He has addressed soil erosion with a host of measures, including terracing the steep landscape.

Urgent action is needed to safeguard the biodiversity of the world’s forests amid alarming rates of deforestation and degradation, according to . The report, produced by and , shows that conservation of the world’s biodiversity is dependent on the way we interact with the world’s forests. The COVID-19 crisis has thrown into focus the importance of sustainably using nature and recognizing the link between the ecosystem’s and people’s health.

Our solutions are in nature

A celebration of the incredible biodiversity in the national parks of Colombia, the host of World Environment Day 2020. Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth, home to over 51,000 species.

Bees and other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats and hummingbirds, are increasingly under threat from human activity. We, however, depend on their survival. Pollinators not only contribute to food security and biodiversity; they are fundamental to our ecosystems. Nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species, more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land, depend on pollination. On May 20 learn more of what you can do to protect bees and tune in to take part in our virtual event on the future of beekeeping in the COVID-19 era!

1 million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction. Biodiversity loss is a loss for humanity. Beyond an environmental problem, it also affects our health by restricting the food supply and access to medicine. This year’s theme for the International Day for Biological Diversity, “Our solutions are in nature”, emphasizes a message of hope, solidarity and the importance of working together to build a future of life in harmony with nature. In these times of COVID-19, stays committed to restoring lost ecosystems and biodiversity, to reduce the risks of future pandemics.