Brief History
The first World Environment day was established by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in 1972 during a conference in Stockholm, Sweden. This was in response to the environmental degradation caused by rapid industrial development in the western hemisphere, which was causing pollution and depletion of our natural resources.
In the developing countries, environment problems were arising mainly as a result of rampant poverty, deforestation and inadequate sanitation. The resolutions, adopted by this General Assembly, led also to the creation of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
UNEP was designed to be the “environmental conscience” of the UN. In recognition of concerns and needs of the developing world; it was the first UN agency to have headquarters set up in the developing world, with offices in Nairobi.
World Environment Day, commemorated each year on June 5, is one of the principal occasions that we have today to create worldwide awareness of environmental issues and to call for action at both local and governmental levels.
An environmental theme is chosen each year based on a current world environmental need or concern. Each Year, the UN champions a theme that reawakens people’s consciousness to remain connected to the environment.
