World Environment Day (WED) on 5th June 2011

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has named India, for the first time, as the global host of World Environment Day 2011 (WED) on June 5, for "embracing the process of a transition to a Green Economy." This year's theme 'Forests: Nature at Your Service', underscores the intrinsic link b
etween quality of life and the health of forests and forest ecosystems. The WED theme also supports this year's UN International Year of Forests.

India is a country of 1.2 billion people, who continue to put pressure on forests especially in densely populated areas where people are cultivating on marginal lands and where overgrazing is contributing to desertification, UNEP said.

But the Indian Government has also found solutions, it said. While the socio-economic pressures on the country's forests are tremendous, India has instituted a tree planting system to combat land degradation and desertification, including windbreaks and shelterbelts to protect agricultural land.

In conserving its critical ecosystem, India has successfully introduced projects that track the health of the nation's plants, animals, water and other natural resources, including the Sunderbans; the largest deltaic mangrove forest in the world, and home to one of India's most iconic wildlife species: the tiger, UNEP said.

India has also launched a compensation afforestation programme under which any diversion of public forests for non forestry purposes is compensated through afforestation in degraded or non forested land.

The funds received as compensation are used to improve forest management, protection of forests and of watershed areas. Moreover, a government authority has been created specifically to administer this programme.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, said:

"Over close to the 40-year history of WED, India's cities and communities have been among the most active with a myriad of events undertaken across the country each and every year - so it is only fitting that this rapidly developing economy is the host in 2011."

Two of India's most prominent cities - Mumbai and Delhi - will be the venue for this year's global celebration of the environment, with a myriad of activities over several days to inspire Indians and people around the world to take action for the environment.

Programme for World Environment Day 2011, India

June	Event	Location/Venue	Time
30 May	TCS WORLD 10K BANGALORE 2011 press event	Westminister, ITC, Windsor, Bangaluru	17:00
1 June	Biodiversity film festival (for disadvantaged children)	National Science Centre, Delhi	09:30 – 11:30 and 12:00 – 13:30
2nd	Reporting Green: UNEP Media Workshop on Journalism and the Environment Biodiversity film festival (for general public)	Leela Hotel, Delhi PVR Cinemas, Delhi	09:00 – 18:00 17:00 – 19:00
3rd – 5th	Delhi Haat	Delhi	All day
3rd	Public Dedication of Tree Plantation to India for WED Legacy Dialogue with the Business Community on the Green Economy (Luncheon) Biodiversity Film Festival (for prisoners) WED Curtain-raiser with Media and Inauguration of the Delhi Haat	Juanapur, Mehrauli, Delhi C II Office, Lodhi Road, Delhi Tihar Jail, Delhi Delhi Haat, INA, Delhi	10:00 – 10:30 12:30 – 14:30 15:00 – 17:00 17:30 – 18:30
4th	Organic and Forest Food Celebrity cook-out 1st plantation of the World 10K Forest	Regency, ITC Windsor, Bangaluru Madiwala Lake complex, Bangaluru	13:30 – 14:30 16:00 – 17:00
4th	Biodiversity Film Festival (for officials and family members of the Indian Air Force) Biodiversity Film Festival (for officials and Jawans of ITBP)	Subroto Park, Indian Air Force, Delhi ITBP, Tughlakabad, Delhi	16:00 – 18:00 16:00 – 18:00
4th	Launch of Nature Camp for speech and hearing impaired children and Inauguration of Exhibition on Western Ghatt diversity Keynote to IT Business Community	Institute of Wood Science & Technology, Malleshawaram, Bangaluru Bangaluru	18:00 – 19:00 20:00 – 21:30
4th – 5th	Greenathon on NDTV	Television	24hrs
5th	TCS WORLD 10K BANGALORE 2011 marathon	Bangaluru	09:00 – 09:30
5th	Green Walkathon	Delhi	06:00 – 08:00
5th	Press Conference and release of the UNEP “Green Economy and the Forest” Report Civil Society Seminar – “Nature and Livelihoods: Women’s perspective” (Screen WED films at event)	Ashok Hotel, Delhi Ashok Hotel, Delhi	15:00 – 15:30 16:00 – 18:00