By IUCN CEM Member on 7 June 2018.
On June 5, 2018 the IUCN CEM South Asia launched its official blog – Harnessing Nature. Dr Shalini Dhyani’s article ‘Why Environment Days Have Started to Matter More to the Entire Humanity?’ opened the key issue of plastics for this years world environment day. Also featured was the article ‘Sustainocene: Beautiful World from Global Artificial Photosynthesis’ by Professor Thomas Faunce from Australian National University and Mark Walmsley, a prominent musican from Australia. Articles from other commission members and stellar conservationists from South Asia chapter of IUCN CEM were featured as well, portraying a strong solidarity of members to the opening of Harnessing Nature.
Harnessing Nature will focus on articles from topographic regions and ecosystems in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka. It is a platform for the CEM members across various IUCN thematic groups to exchange knowledge and information. The blog welcomes articles from a range of topics that can be listed under the broad umbrella of nature based solutions.
For a list of topics and an easy guide to contributing articles, please visit the Submit an Article page.
Dr Madhav Karki (Deputy Chair, CEM) and Dr Shalini Dhyani (Regional Chair, CEM) shared their felicitations and thoughts on the launch. Dr Karki referred to the launch of Harnessing Nature on this year’s World Environment Day as a “timely and pertinent call” to all the CEM members; He also joined Dr Dhyani to urge all to “come together to meet head-on and beat the one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time- land and ocean pollution due to rampant use and misuse of plastic bags and other plastic based products and materials.”
Quoting Dr Madhav Karki:
Among these one-time-use and throw plastic bags pose greatest threat due to their clogging of our water pipes, drainage systems and rivers. Just the other day in Thailand a wandering whale died by consuming 16 plastic bags off the coast of Thailand. It is estimated that the world consumes one trillion plastic bags per year. The recently released IPBES Asia-Pacific Regional Biodiversity and Ecosystem Assessment Report findings reveal that ” the increase of waste and pollution in the Asia-Pacific region is impacting ecosystems and threatening the current and future health of nature and people; With the increase in consumption of natural resources in the Asia-Pacific region, there has been a rise in the subsequent production of waste. Household hazardous waste, e-waste and food waste are increasing with the growth of urbanization across the region. Plastic waste is of concern: 8 of the 10 rivers around the globe carrying the highest amounts of plastic waste are located in Asia. This waste accounts for up to 95 per cent of the global load of plastics in the oceans. Waste in water supplies and air pollution pose persistent threats to human and environmental health. May I therefore join Shalini to call upon all CEM members in Asia to do whatever is possible from their positions and places to reduce, reuse and replace the use of plastic bags and other products and protect our environment, ecosystems and biodiversity in our landscapes and seascapes.
Dr Shalini Dhyani’s address to all through Facebook can be accessed using the link below:
Launching our Blog Harnessing Nature today and opening it to all of you social media enthusiasts, students, youth, senior people. In case you have conservation stories please do send us.
Harnessing Nature is the blog of IUCN CEM South Asia. The blog focuses on articles from topographic regions and ecosystems in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka. This a platform for the CEM members across various IUCN thematic groups to exchange knowledge and information. The blog invites articles from a range of topics that can be listed under the broad umbrella of nature based solutions. Authors willing to submit their articles for Harnessing Nature may send them directly to the managing editor via iucncemblog@gmail.com or by filling up the form Submit an Article on the website.
I feel sincere gratitude to Mr. Amartya Deb who has taken lead to develop this blog and the outcomes are excellent.
Posted by IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management – South Asia on Monday, 4 June 2018
Mr Amartya Deb has been the lead in this project. He is an architect, a planner and a policy analyst on global issues pertaining to sustainable development. He is accepted as a member of the Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM) since February 2018. As his first assignment, Deb assumed a lead responsibility for development of the official blog of IUCN CEM South Asia, which he fittingly titled: Harnessing Nature. Presently, Amartya Deb is also the managing editor of the blog. For queries and suggestions please contact him directly using this form.
Read the very first editorial for Harnessing Nature by Amartya Deb: Beyond the 2020 Target of Bonn Challenge: Agroforestry for Sustainable Restoration of Croplands in India
Readership of Harnessing Nature:
We have had a brilliant start with visits from 13 countries covering 6 different continents: thank you all for making this event memorable!
This article is composed from inputs by various members of IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM). CEM is one of the six commissions that unite 10,000 volunteer experts from a range of disciplines. Together we assess the state of the world’s natural resources and provide the Union with sound know-how and policy advice on conservation issues. Read more about us here.
One thought on “Official Launch of Harnessing Nature on The World Environment Day 2018”