World environment day

EVERY year on the 5th of June, Bangladesh joins the rest of the world to commemorate World Environment Day (WED). Observation of the day is aimed at encouraging global awareness on environment and providing a worldwide platform to reach out to the citizens of the world. The day is observed in some 100 countries and this year, the theme is on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) which will revolve around the broader context of climate change. Small island states in many ways are bound to face the brunt of the increased melting of glaciers and the rising of the world's oceans. Yet it is not only SIDS that are facing the threat of global warming and environmental degradation.
Our actions are causing irreparable damage to the ecology and overall environment of individual countries. Bangladesh is no exception. Irresponsible behaviour in the name of development is destroying our wetlands and polluting our rivers, destroying not only marine life but also sowing the seeds of destruction of many of our cities as rivers lay dying. Wholesale clearing of natural forest lands to make way for infrastructure such as housing is paving the way for floods to swamp agriculture lands destroying the livelihoods of the poor and fuelling an uncontrolled migration from the villages to urban areas. A process that is both unplanned and unsustainable.
We should take the opportunity on this day to learn how communities all over the world are finding innovative ways to combat environmental degradation. Every small step goes a big way.