Home is where the heart is: Mili's World Environment Day message

World Environment Day takes place every year on 5 June. It is the United Nations’ flagship day for promoting worldwide awareness and action for the environment. Over the years, it has grown to be one of the largest global platforms for public outreach, celebrated by millions of people in over 100 countries.

On 5 June 2019, World Environment Day will be on the theme of air pollution— a call to action to combat one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time. Nine out of 10 people worldwide breathe polluted air. Air pollution is identified as the most important health issue of our time, causing 1 in 9 deaths globally and an estimated 7 million premature deaths every year.

Air pollution harms our natural environment, decreasing the oxygen supply in our oceans, making it harder for plants to grow and contributing to climate change. It creates acid rain that harms and kills plants and animals. Toxic pollutants in the air, or deposited on soils or surface waters, can impact wildlife in a number of ways.

But luckily, nature-based solutions such as reforestation and ecosystem restoration help to reduce air pollution and mitigate its adverse effects. IUCN Staff can play a critical role in raising awareness about the dangers of air pollution as well as promoting these solutions that directly relate to IUCN’s work.

Though Air Pollution is the global theme for this year’s World Environment Day, I have decided to take a different approach and change the theme to the context of what is happening at my very backyard. And that is ‘waste pollution’ and the power and effect of ignorance.

It is very important to bear in mind the environment’s influence in our daily lives. Therefore I would like to remind us all the natural cycle that “ALL RIVERS LEADS TO THE OCEAN”.

I believe, to help the Ocean survive, we the people are to ensure our environment is always clean as everything is connected.

I want to share with you what I’ve been going through with regards to the issue of pollution back at home. I live in Qauia. Qauia is a couple of minutes inward from Lami town. Quite a small place of only about 6 acres and densely populated with approximately 2 – 3000 people including children. I’ve only been living there for 1 year and 2 months.

There is no designated or proper outlet or place to dispose rubbish. People living there find that the most nearest and most easiest place to dispose their rubbish is the Qauia river. It’s quite daunting that this is still happening! On the global level, Fiji is boldly waving the Climate Change banner yet this is happening in our very own backyards! You will see from the slide-show, pictures of the rubbish being disposed in the rivers.

All this rubbish, not only does it affect the living creatures in the rivers, but also the people who bathe and wash clothes in the river gets affected. Mothers and children get sick.

When you visit Qauia at any time of the day, you will notice first-hand what I’m trying to say today. Rubbish and plastic bags, piling up all corners of the area they are living in, just waiting for the next heavy rain to carry and wash them down to the ocean.

Thankfully, in the past few weeks and also with the help of Andrew Irvin, I have initiated discussions with the community leaders to help install a skip bin close by where people can dump their rubbish and once a week the town council can come and collect the large bins. If you’re interested our email correspondence, I’ve also made copies for you to read.

It is not an easy task to change the actions of the people but hopefully someday, the mindsets will slowly change towards a direction of positive thinking and care for the environment. I thank IUCN for giving me the insight of caring for the environment and I encourage you all to make a change and care for your environment this World Environment Day.

God bless and once again, Happy World Environment Day!

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Miliame is one of IUCN Oceania's janitorial staff who's very passionate about the environment.