Manila Bulletin, Philippines : Editorial

21/04/2003

World Earth Day

By Zac B. Sarian

TODAY is World Earth Day. The United Nations (UN) held the first global convention on environment in 1972. In 1983, the UN created the World Commission on Environment and Development and began promoting the concept of sustainable development. Six years later, the UN created a plan to define the meaning of sustainable development. This plan was concretized when the 1992 Earth Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and was called “Agenda 21.”

Sustainable development means "insuring that development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Like many other countries, the Philippines is blessed by Nature with beauty and wealth. A square kilometer of coral reefs produces 210,000 tons of fish and other marine products a year; 800 kilograms of fish, shrimp, crabs, and mollusks can be harvested a year in a hectare of mangroves. In 1575, 92 percent of the country's total land area was covered by forests. Today, only 18 percent of the country is forested - and it is fast disappearing.

The Molave Tree, nature's pride and the "best that can be found in the universe," is almost extinct. The world-famous Philippine eagle, Bleeding Heart Pigeon, Eagle Owl, Philippine Cockatoo, Tarictic Hornbill, Negros Fruit Dove, Isabella Oriole, Tamaraw, and Philippine crocodile are endangered. Soon, they will be extinct if we do not take the necessary steps to enable them to increase themselves.

Deforestation has reached an unprecedented level in many countries; that in a generation's time, unless radical reforestation efforts are enforced, there will be no more forests all over the world.

The forest, the land, bodies of water - each of them is an ecosystem. Each of them is a foodbase, a habitat of innumerable forms of life. Altogether, they constitute our beloved Earth.

We who inhabit the world today are responsible to the future generations. In our hands rest the future of mankind. This is the import of our observance of World Earth Day.