World Ocean Day 2020: The need for ‘Sustainable Oceans’ is now!
Oceans cover around 70 per cent of the surface of our planet and accounts for nearly 97 per cent of the water on Earth. Today, we are celebrating ‘World Oceans Day’ across the globe.
Canada first proposed the concept for World Oceans Day in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Then, in 2004, the Ocean Project and World Ocean Network launched a four-year petition to the United Nations to officially recognise 8 June as World Oceans Day.
The theme for this year's UN World Oceans Day is 'Innovation for Sustainable Ocean'. The United Nations has said, "Preserving the planet is a job for everyone. The global goals aim to conserve the ocean, sea and marine resources for a sustainable future."
There are some major ongoing issues related to water bodies, such as plastic waste, decreasing level of water, impurities in water and others, it is the utmost necessity to preserve and conserve our oceans. Specific water pollution crisis can be spotted as;
- Industries, sewage treatment plants dump huge quantities of waste materials into the ocean waters. Reports suggest over 200 million tonnes of hazardous wastes are dumped into the oceans every year.
- Marine transportation destroys under water life and habitats.
- As trade expands, emissions from ships in the form of Nitrogen Oxides and Sulphur Oxides are a big source of pollution to the ocean environment.
- Despite countries taking steps to control marine pollution, it's still a major threat to the oceans. Oil spills, waste from ships etc, badly harm the marine ecosystem.
The NITI Aayog tweeted: "There's no green without blue. On World Oceans Day, let's take a moment and appreciate our marine life! We have the power to make a difference, so let's be the generation of change & save marine life from pollution."
The need for ‘Sustainable Oceans’ is now! Scientists warn that the sea is changing rapidly and that our many uses of its bounty must be managed far more sustainably.
Today, the UNESCO World Heritage List includes 50 iconic marine places located across 37 countries. As flagship marine protected areas they are uniquely positioned to spearhead change and serve as beacons of hope in a changing ocean. The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development that will run from 2021 to 2030 is a unique opportunity for the world to step up investments in ocean science and mobilize the latest science and innovation for the safeguarding of our common marine World Heritage of humankind for future generations.
Thus, today is for celebrating the role of the oceans in our everyday life and inspiring action to protect the ocean and sustainably use marine resources.
