Recently, a new global theme – Our Solutions Are in Nature – was launched as the world celebrated International Day for Biological Biodiversity (or IDB).
This year (2020) has been singled out as a milestone year of “reflection, opportunity and solutions”, and as a global community we are asked to “re-examine our relationship with the natural world”, especially in light of the on-going global COVID-19 pandemic.
It is significant to note that “despite all our technological advances, we are completely dependent on nature being healthy and well balanced” so we can benefit from the goods like honey, ground provision and fruits from nature, as well as services like water cycling, oxygen production and wave energy buffer carried out by nature’s ecosystems.
This year’s theme is intended to place the emphasis on “hope, solidarity and the importance of working together at all levels, to build a sustainable future for life in harmony with nature”, and so for the first time, this year there will be an all out focused on-line campaign, soliciting videos and statements from every region of the world, showcasing actions done at the local level, which support the IDB global theme.
Following the same trend, is the upcoming global celebration of World Environment Day on June 5, 2020, this year under the theme “Time For Nature” – with a focus on highlighting the role of natural environment in “providing the essential infrastructure that supports life on earth, and human development”.
Grenada is in full agreement with the need to conserve and promote our natural environment, and to use nature’s goods and services wisely. The concrete actions taken over the last few months have pointedly focused on these goals. The drastic reduction in the usage of Styrofoam and single-use plastics in Grenada, with the final phases of key legislation coming into effect later this year – are all part of Grenada’s robust bid and commitment to conservation of nature.
Many Grenadians showed support for this year’s IDB theme “Our Solutions Are in Nature”, by reposting the International Day for Biological Diversity 2020 slogan to their social media feeds including Profile pictures, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Another fun online competition, this time promoting local creativity with the use of “environmentally friendly face masks”, will be launched soon, as we count down to World Environment Day and their theme “Time For Nature”.
