Ecosystem restoration, the theme of this year's World Environment Day, refers to a series of activities that transform or restore a degraded ecosystem to its natural form.

Every year, 5 June is widely known as World Environment Day across the planet to remind people of their duties and responsibilities towards the environment.

The World Environment Day had its genesis in 1972 when the primary conference on the environment was held in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (UNCHE) served as a platform for multiple nations to debate environmental issues and develop environmental awareness on a worldwide scale.

But it had been in 1974 when the us recognised 5 June as World Environment Day, for the primary time with the theme “Only One Earth”. And since then, 5 June is appreciated worldwide as a crucial day for the sake of the environment.

An American biologist and author Rachel Louise Carson encouraged the sense of environmentalism through her book, Silent Spring that reported the toxic effects of pesticides on the environment and ecological communities.

This led to an environmental agitation within the early 1960s.

The sense of environmentalism developed in independent India over several decades with the Chipko movement (1973), the Silent Valley, movement (1976), the Appiko movement (1983), Narmada Bachao Andolan (1985) and a number of other other remarkable events resulting in the present-day ban on plastics, animal poaching and deforestation.

However, environmentalism is far older in India. In fact, the Bishnois of Rajasthan are often considered the first environmentalists of India.

As per reports, 363 people from the Bishnoi community were killed while trying to guard trees during a village in Rajasthan. Their brave act is claimed to be the inspiration behind the Chipko Movement.

This year, the theme for World Environment Day is “ecosystem restoration”.

The term “ecosystem restoration” refers to a series of activities that transform or restore a degraded (damaged) ecosystem to its natural form, or heal damages to an ecosystem and convey it back to a condition which will sustain for a extended period of your time .

Examples of degraded ecosystems are polluted rivers, deforested landscape, overexploited forests, and non-fertile agricultural land. Degradation of ecosystems could also be natural or anthropogenic. However, to an outsized extent damage to ecosystems is an anthropocentric concern.

In world history, war I and war II are the most important manifestations of degraded ecosystems. The conflicts between nations challenged the ecological health of the environment affecting soil, water, microbes, wildlife and humankind.

It is undeniable that scientific, technological and socio-economic developments by humankind have in some cases assisted ecosystem restoration efforts.

An appraisal of literature reveals that research and development is accelerating the restoration of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems within the Brahmaputra Valley and therefore the Indo-Gangetic plains in India.

Traditional ecosystem restoration methods contains the fulfilment of stepwise target objectives like monitoring, treatment, remediation and mitigation of degraded ecosystems. Indigenous knowledge on ecosystem restoration practices forms the foundational basis of current advanced techniques of ecosystem restoration methods.

And nowadays, combinations of physical, chemical, biological and engineering methods can produce innovative technologies within the restoration of degraded ecosystems in India or anywhere within the world.

Altogether, ecosystem restoration could also be recognised as a worldwide concern that has got to be addressed by massive awareness programmes involving policy-making bodies and collaborations at global platforms.

Environmentalism and ecocentric concerns fall into the purview of World Environment Day, and there are numerous ways to precise them aside from on the web or social media. One can personally reinforce environmentalism at grass root levels by conducting outreach programmes, practising ecocentrism, and preaching environmental ethics.

The theme of this year's World Environment Day is ecosystem restoration, which refers to a sequence of activities that change or restore a degraded ecosystem to its native state.

Every year on June 5th, the world commemorates World Environment Day to remind people of their environmental duties and responsibilities.

The first World Environment Day was held in 1972 when the primary conference was held.