Tabi Joda hosts World Environment Day virtual session - 5 June 2024

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World Environment Day - 5th June 2024

Time: 11:00 – 12:30 (GMT+3) | 08:00 – 09:30 GMT 

World Environment Day, celebrated annually on June 5th, aims to raise awareness and promote action to protect our environment. This year's theme, “Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience” focuses on urgent issues such as land degradation, exacerbated by climate change, which threaten agriculture, water supply, and stability in the Sahel region. These challenges, which include desertification and erratic rainfall, lead to food insecurity, migration, and increased conflicts over dwindling natural resources.

The interconnected nature of these problems requires a coordinated approach involving sustainable land management, climate-resilient agriculture, and community-based resource management to foster resilience and reduce risks associated with extreme weather. Efforts to combat these challenges include adopting integrated agroforestry, conservation agriculture, and water harvesting techniques. Additionally, initiatives like One Billion Trees for Africa and the Great Green Wall emphasize community involvement and policy improvements to mitigate land degradation and promote biodiversity.

World Environment Day 2024 presents a critical opportunity for global cooperation to restore degraded lands, enhance food security, and support sustainable growth in Africa’s drylands, aligning with global frameworks like the SDGs, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Paris Agreement. This collective action is vital for building a sustainable and resilient future in regions affected by environmental degradation.

Speaker Agenda: World Environment Day

• Opening Remarks: Elvis Paul (Africa Union Commission)

• Keynote Presentation on the Theme: H.E. Nabil Benkhatra (Observatoire du Sahel)

• Contribution of UNEP to the GGWI: Adamou Bouhari (UNEP)

• Changing the Paradigm in Financing Project: Janine Campling (GUD)

• Youth Engagements in Land Restoration and the GGWI: Nafissatou Konate (Youth)

• Experience Sharing Session: Fatty Kemo (Green Up Gambia), Jonathan Robinson (CIVIC UK), Jean Augustin (FAGRIB Washington), Mailes Zulu (Save Environment and People Agency SEPA), Kemo (Abdiak Mali)

• Women Agribusiness Senegal: Aminata Diakite

• Secteur Prive Niger: Yacine Yade; Moctar Niandou

• Discussions and Closing Remarks: Kai Cash (One Billion Trees for Africa), Moderation by Tabi Joda (One Billion Trees for Africa and GUD Malta)