Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene May-June 2016 Vol. 11 No.3 | Page 20

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2016 crafts exhibitions, film festivals, competitions, public celebrations, drama and poetry, flash mobs, online and social media activities, sports activities and more. Whatever you decide to do, check out the five quick steps to consider in making your day a success. urgent conservation effort. The collars will help rangers track some of the last 100 antelopes in two remote reserves and protect them from poachers. Scientists can use the data to learn more about the species and how to help it recover. This year’s WED celebrations are hosted by Angola, a country seeking to restore its elephant herds, conserve Africa’s biodiversity-rich wildlife, and safeguard the environment as it seeks to become “a new Angola in which both people and animals can experience peace and prosperity and where environment becomes part of the heart and minds of its people, integrated with the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Minister of Environment, Mme Maria de Fátima Jardim. Positive energy of global citizens across all sectors of society in show zero tolerance for the illegal trade will contribute to the extraordinary change already being made across the globe. Angola is home to the beloved Giant Sable Antelope and for WED 2016, you can act to save the Giant Sable from extinction by taking part in our naming contest. In July, rangers will fit the remaining sables with radio-collars. The first three animals will receive names that were chosen online by the WED community. These names will be announced on June 5 during the WED celebrations in Angola’s capital, Luanda. In 2010, the WED community named three baby gorillas, Waka Waka, Legacy and Zoya. https://vimeo.com/album/1606069 This comes after an announcement last year by two of the largest ivory markets in the world – the US and China – that they would be closing their international and domestic trade in elephant ivory. The contest and ceremony will raise the profile of this 18 Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • May - June 2016 In April, Kenya destroyed nearly all of its elephant ivory and rhino horn stockpiles in a ceremony at Nairobi National Park. 105 tonnes of ivory from over 7,000 elephants and 1.35 tonnes of rhino horn were burned in an urgent call to action to end the poaching crisis. Your pledge and engagement will empower people to understand the damage the illegal trade in wildlife is doing to our environment, economies, communities and security. Whoever you are, and wherever you live, please ‘Go Wild for Life,’and save our planet!