“World Nature Conservation Day is celebrated to create and increase awareness about the importance of natural resources and how one can live sustainably. The day encourages people to save and protect Earth’s natural resources that are fast-depleting owing to over-exploitation and even misuse.

Observed every year on July 28, World Nature Conservation Day came into practice as the day to educate people about the best practices to protect our natural resources as our planet Earth has only a limited amount of resources left that we hugely rely on each day like water, air, soil and trees.

World Nature Conservation Day also recognises that a healthy environment is the core reason for a stable and productive society. The sustainable practices are such that the well-being of the present and future generations can be secured. As responsible citizens, we must all practice sustainable living and bring about small changes in our everyday living, the way we shop, eat, travel and more so that we don’t damage our natural gifts any more.

The Ministry of Culture, via their official Twitter handle, posted a video and captioned it: “Nature worship is indeed an integral part of the Indian Culture. On the occasion of #WorldNatureConservationDay let’s all take pledge to protect, conserve, and sustainably manage our natural resources and make this world a better and healthier place for our future generations.

How to live sustainably?

Ensure water conservation: It all starts at home. Take a pledge to use the shower lesser and use a bucket for a bath instead as the former ends up wasting more water, in the long run, a bane for the society as certain studies have found that we might run out of natural resources of water by the year 2050.

Encourage planting of trees to avoid soil erosion and promote greenery. Practice home-gardening, when possible. Not everyone has a green thumb, but spending time amid nature promotes mental well-being too.

Waste management: Reduce, reuse and recycle waste. Practice rainwater harvesting and setup wastewater treatment plants. Use an organic compost if possible.

Sustainable commuting: Carpool with fellow office-goers who work in and around your office complex. It is good for the environment as fewer cars means lesser pollution and is also easier on the pocket.

Reduce your electricity consumption; switch off electrical appliances when not in use, or everytime you walk out of a room.

Reduce paper use: Save paper, save trees. In the digital age, the devices we use help us take notes so it saves the need for a print-out. With the new normal, many of us have also begun to understand that a meeting can be held on a virtual medium and additional resources can always be saved.

Avoid the use single-use of plastics: The plastics eventually flowing into the oceans are causing damage to marine life, ecology and so much more. According to a Reuters report, “single-use plastic consumption has increased during the coronavirus pandemic. Face masks and latex gloves are washing up daily on Asia’s remote beaches. Landfills worldwide are piled high with record amounts of takeaway food containers and online delivery packaging.”

The main objective is to be live and promote conscious, mindful living. From fast fashion, to overexploitation of all our resources, to reducing non-essential travel, we can all play a role in building a sustainable future.”