The World Environment Day-2016 was observed in Bangladesh as elsewhere in the world yesterday with a focus on creating awareness about protecting national resources, including the wildlife and forests.

The United Nations set this year’s slogan "Go Wild for Life." The theme carries the message of a fight against the illegal wildlife trade, which not only contributes to the extinction of biodiversity, but also threatens the survival of elephants, rhinos and tigers, amongmany other species.

Government and non-government organisations in the country organised different programmes including colourful procession, rally, painting exhibition, essay writing competition among juveniles and children and open discussion, in the Dhaka city and beyond, marking the day.

Green activists at a discussion held by Poribesh Bachao Andolon (Poba) at its office in the capital, underscored the need for protecting forests to ensure safe habitats for wildlife as well as a sustainable environment in the country.

They said the country's forests were gradually dwindling thanks to the unchecked deforestation and rapid growth of population and its pressure on them.

Addressing a World Environment Day programme at Independent University, Bangladesh, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat laid emphasis on taking joint initiatives involving the young generation to

encounter the challenges posed by climate change with new solutions.

The country must go for effective enforcement of law to protect environment from pollution and harmful human intervention, Environment and Forest Minister Anwar Hossain Manju told a roundtable at the capital's Cirdap.

■Developing countries are the worst sufferers of adverse effects of global climate change. They are in need of financial help from the developed countries to deal with the negative effects," BSS quoted the minister as saying.

The Department of Environment (DoE) and the Bangla daily Samakal jointly organised the roundtable titled “Environment for Sustainable Development" to observe the day.

Inter alios, Deputy Minister for Environment and Forest Abdullah Al Islam Jakob, Chief Conservator of Forest Yunus Ali, and Director General of Department of Environment Raisul Alam Mondol addressed the discussion chaired by Environment Secretary Dr Kamal Uddin Ahmed.

Besides, the DoE observed the day in different districts including Chittagong, Narayanganj, Moulvibazar, Munshiganj and Pirojpur.

Our Sherpur correspondent reports, different nongovernment and voluntary organisations held a rally and a tree plantation campaign in many areas of the district.

A roundtable was also organised by World Vision Bangladesh in collaboration with five other organisations at the auditorium of Sherpur Zila Parishad.

Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies of Dhaka University, Maulana Bhashani Science and Technology University, and Brae University also observed the day.