Partnering for a clean environment

The United Nations in Lesotho partnered with The British High Commission, Vodacom and The American International School to commemorate World Environment Day on 4 June 2021. This day was celebrated with a neighborhood clean-up event, as a call-to-action to encourage other organizations, communities, and individuals to take concrete actions in keeping Lesotho clean.

The 2021 World Environment Day also marked the beginning of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global rally for the healing of our planet for the next ten years.

Aurore Rusiga, representing the Resident Coordinator a.i, remarked on the importance of working together for lasting impact on the environment and ecosystems: “we all have a role to play in keeping our environment clean, and there are many ways in which we can contribute. Whether it be picking up litter or planting trees or making sure we reduce the use of plastics, these actions will have lasting impact on the environment and our ecosystems”.

The United Nations Environment Programme’s new synthesis report makes a clear and urgent case for the restoration of ecosystems. The report finds that ecosystem degradation affects the well-being of an estimated 3.2 billion people, or 40 per cent of the world’s population and that each year, the world loses ecosystem services worth more than 10 per cent of the global economic output.

“We have a huge task ahead of us for the recovery of our ecosystems over the next ten years, we will need political will and commitment among other things. In the UK, the government is already implementing tax levy’s on single use plastic bags and further pledging more funding for the protection of habitats and wildlife all over the world,” said Anne Macro, the UK High Commissioner in Maseru.

To amplify the message, all partners drove a social media engagement campaign encouraging citizens to act individually and collectively to ensure and advance restoration of forest ecosystems, waste reduction and recycling, protection of biodiversity and sustainable food supply.