World Nature Conservation Day

Context

World Nature Conservation Day is observed on 28th July to make our Environment and nature healthy.

About

• World Nature Conservation Day is observed to increase awareness about the importance of preserving nature and natural resources in order to protect the Earth.
• The world’s indigenous peoples are the best custodians of natural resources, especially forests and wildlife.

Aim of World Nature Conservation Day

• It aims to create awareness about the need to preserve the environment and natural resources to keep the world healthy.
• Saving plants and animals that are threatened with extinction.
• Keeping the various components of nature, such as flora and fauna, energy resources, soil water and air intact.
• This occasion recognizes the importance of a healthy and well-functioning environment is critical for sustaining a stable, productive human society.
• It also underlines the need for preserving the environment for posterity.
  
  

What is Nature Conservation?

• Conservation in general parlance refers to the wise use of the earth and its resources for the lasting good of mankind.
• Earth’s natural resources include air, minerals, plants, soil, water, and wildlife.
• Conservation is the care and protection of these resources so that they can be preserved for posterity. 
• It includes maintaining the diversity of species, genes, and ecosystems, as well as functions of the environment, such as nutrient cycling.
• Conservation is similar to preservation, but while both relate to the protection of nature, they strive to accomplish this task in different ways. 
• Conservation seeks the sustainable use of nature by humans, for activities such as hunting, logging, or mining, while preservation means protecting nature from human use.
• The Best example could be the provision of limited individual use for non-commercial purposes of forest resources, allowed to the traditional dwellers, in the case of a Wildlife Sanctuary. 
• Whereas, in the case of national parks, they are inviolable zones and nothing can be picked from the reserved forest area through such anthropogenic activities that may affect the environment. 
• They are both declared under the Wildlife Act (Protection), 1972 in India.

Theme

• The World Nature Conservation Day 2022 is observed with the theme “Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature.” 
• This theme is set with the aim to make our environment sustainable. It is celebrated to keep them naturally healthy and safe. 
• World Nature Conservation Day 2021 was celebrated with the theme “Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet.”