World Environment Day 2024

Today we will talk about World Environment Day.

Since June 5 will arrive, many people are preparing to celebrate the Environment, without asking themselves the question: what do they do to improve the space where they live, and what more do they bring to the protection of the environment, and especially what actions are taken to prepare for climate change.

Well, I think that World Environment Day should be a balance sheet day for all people, all institutions, and governments, to evaluate the work done in the field, as well as to see what remains to be done in terms of the goals that have been set.

I tell you this, because the YEE Platform is there to remind you that it is not only June 5, or the month of June to act, but throughout the year.

For example, April 22, which is World Earth Day, could be a date to start all demonstrations or activities to commemorate the environment.

Let's be more consistent,

on April 22, 2024, World Earth Day, many countries around the world paid tribute to our beautiful planet which we have enjoyed since the world began.

This Earth Day celebration gave all countries around the world the opportunity to raise awareness of issues that could help preserve the Earth and its resources. It also gave them the opportunity to make new resolutions on the good behavior of the population, in order to obtain more respect for our environment.

Which means all entities or people who would like to celebrate the environment in their communities, should begin their commemorative activities from the World Earth Day, not to mention the World Water Day which is also linked to the environment.

In fact, World Environment Day is a day that the United Nations launched in 1972, to raise awareness and to encourage all actors in the world to continue to conduct adequate activities in the protection of the environment. It is for this reason that every year there is a general theme that comes out following the emergency moment; a way to have a synergy in the actions and in the decision making in the resolution of the problems.

The theme of World Environment Day 2024 is: Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience under the slogan “Our Lands”

This theme clearly shows that in order to achieve the goals of sustainable development, we must preserve our lands, and continue to strengthen the resilience of communities in the face of drought, and to protect and revive ecosystems around the world.

In order to do this, we must look at the land in the mountains and the land in our plains and analyze them to see what is happening, how they are treated, in which period they get water and when they don't.

If we take the 3 characteristics of the theme which are drought, desertification and land restoration, we must look at:

- What do we have to do to fight the drought, or to adapt to the drought?

- Are there adequate remedies for desertification, which is a serious drought disease in relation to its intensity and duration?

- How to restore the land?

These are questions that I have already answered in my broadcasts; I repeat them to you on the occasion of World Environment Day.

Since I heard about the drought, I have been crying and running water. In fact, it was something that clicked in my head, making me realize that a triangle had broken.

A triangle as you know has 3 sides. If one side is not there, the 2 other sides will scatter the straw. If we want the triangle to still exist, we need to correctly connect the vertices of the triangles.

Triangles are not only important mathematically, they are also important in life, and more specifically they are fundamental to the way we construct our environment, both physically and virtually. Triangles are exceptionally strong and special.

If we do not establish the relationship between Water, Earth and Plants or we do not highlight the triangle formed by these 3 elements, we do not really understand the meaning of life.

And well, through YEE broadcast, I told you that: water, land and plants form a triangle that we must always consolidate.

These 3 important natural resources are meant to work together to make our lives better. Since we dissociate them and separate them, the consequences will be serious for us, it will spawn floods, droughts, land degradation, and famine.

I'm sure, that you will say: Drought is a natural phenomenon that occurs when there is no rain after a long time, generally in summer. I agree, but don't forget that:

We also emphasize it by the way we act, by different activities that we lead.

If you ask me How to avoid drought, I will tell you: The answer is very simple. Rete Tè, Kenbe Dlo (in Haitian creole) that means:

Stay Land, Keep Water (Soil and Water Conservation). Therefore,

- Let's build water reserves such as: lakes, basins to keep water in rainy and cold seasons. Then, we can get water to use in the summer, as an additional solution;

- Let's put storm spillways on the rivers to transfer water to large basins when the river is too full;

- Let's preserve our arable land with good biological and mechanic-vegetative structure;

- Let's support our farmers to give good results;

- Let's cover our land with vegetation to protect it from erosion by wind and water;

- Let's reduce pressure on dry land ecosystems. If you follow these instructions, you will avoid major floods when it rains on the watersheds, and the rivers.

Also, you will never talk about:

- Meteorological drought (lack of rain);

- Agricultural drought because the land will not lack water, and we will have good vegetation;

- Hydrological drought because lakes, rivers will have water, and underground water will have normal levels;

You too, as individual:

You can play your part to prevent the drought from taking its toll on your homes, in your communities, in your neighborhoods;

You can involve yourselves in proper ecological-responsible actions, for example:

- Don’t let water go to waste, take a quick shower instead of bathing in a tub of water,

- When a pipe is broken, water is flowing in the yard of your house, or in the neighborhood, repair it without delay, Call the Service!

- Have sanitary equipment installed at home to save water (sinks, WC, etc..);

- Don't over consume products that need a lot of water;

- Plant fruit trees and drought-resistant crops. (Consult an agronomist)

- Make a better management of water in periods of drought;

- Choose an appropriate irrigation system such as drop by drop;

- Use mulch to retain moisture in the soil.

If You fail to follow that path, things will get worse, cancer will break out, you will destroy the biological potential of your land, and it will not be able to bear it anymore.

As I used to say for Water:

"If we really want to solve the water problem, let's go to the source".

Then,

"If we really want to restore our land to produce quality plants and revive ecosystem, let's go to the root".

- Frame our farmers,

- Make sustainable agriculture that does not exhaust the land,

- Make proper irrigation of soil,

- Preserve our forests and our soil.

Thank you.

The President

Patrice Baptiste