Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Africa Water, Sanitation May -June 2014 Vol.9 No.3 | Page 30

8

6

World Environment Day (WED) is the principal vehicle of the United
Nations for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the
environment. Over the years it has grown to be a broad, global
platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated in more than
100 countries. It also serves as the ‘people’s day’ for doing something
positive for the environment, galvanizing individual actions into a
collective power that generates an exponential positive impact on
the planet.

Message of
United Nations
Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon

Every Action Counts
Whether it is to organize clean-up campaigns, walk-to-work days,
plastic purges, art exhibits, tree-planting drives, concerts, dance
recitals, switching off the lights, recycling drives, social media
campaigns and different contests — every action counts. When
multiplied by a global chorus, our individual voices and actions
become exponential in their impact.

World Environment Day 2014 falls during the International
Year of Small Island Developing States, declared by the
United Nations General Assembly to raise awareness of the
special needs of this diverse coalition as part of the global
discussion on how to achieve a sustainable future for all.

WED 2014: Raise your voice, not the sea level
In support of the UN designation of 2014 as the International Year of
Small Island Developing States (SIDS), WED this year adopts SIDS
in the broader context of climate change as its theme.

The world’s small island nations, which
are collectively home to more than 63
million people, are renowned as prized
destinations: places of outstanding
natural beauty, vibrant culture and music
appreciated around the globe. While
small in total, the land size of small island
nations does not reflect their importance
as stewards of nature’s wealth on land
and sea. They play an important role
in protecting the oceans and many are
biodiversity hotspots, containing some
of the richest reservoirs of plants and
animals on the planet.
Despite these assets, Small Island
Developing States face numerous
challenges. For a significant number, their
remoteness affects their ability to be
part of the global supply chain, increases
import costs – especially for energy –
and limits their competitiveness in the
tourism industry. Many are increasingly
vulnerable to the impacts of climate
change – from devastating storms to the

WED aims to build momentum towards the Third International
Conference on SIDS in September and to encourage a greater

9

© SHUTTERSTOCK

understanding of the importance of SIDS and of the urgency
to help protect the islands in the face of growing risks and
vulnerabilities, particularly as a result of climate change.
WED 2014 is an excellent opportunity to raise a call for
solidarity with the islands and to highlight their unique
developmental challenges and successes.

“This year should help to focus the attention of
the international community on the sustainable
development needs of SIDS and that includes
ways and means to promote actions through
international, regional and sub-regional
cooperation aimed at the achievement of
sustainable development. It is an opportunity
also to highlight the complex and unique
challenges faced by all the members of SIDS so
there is a greater awareness and appreciation of
their diverse needs…”

H.E. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi
Prime Minister of the Independent State of Samoa

Climate change is foremost among these challenges as
global warming is causing ocean levels to rise. According to
the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global sea
levels are rising at an increasing rate, which is projected to be
even greater this century. When global temperature warms,
seawater expands and occupies more space. Sea levels also
rise when ice melts. Coastal communities in every country
are then threatened with floods and storm surges to which
these small islands are most exposed.
WED is also celebrating the contributions that this grou