UN World Environment Day 2013 to be hosted by Mongolia

Mongolia has been announced as the host of this year’s World Environment Day (WED) which will take place on 5 June and will focus on reducing food waste and loss.

Mongolia has made significant efforts to move towards a green economy in its main industries such as mining and has been a leader in promoting environmental awareness among its population.

The nation is facing particular challenges from the impacts of climate change including pressure on its food and water security and the traditional nomadic way of life has come under threat as a result.

Mongolia is among the most vulnerable nations on the planet to a changing climate and estimates suggest that annual mean temperature has increased by over 2°C during the last 70 years and precipitation has worryingly decreased in most regions.

World Environment Day began in 1972 as a way to raise awareness of environmental concerns and encourage political action. The theme for the Day this year is "Think.Eat.Save. Reduce Your Foodprint,” which complements UNEP's global campaign of the same name launched earlier this year.

The announcement of Mongolia as hosts was made during UNEP’s Governing Council session in Nairobi, Kenya, where hundreds of environment ministers met to discuss the most urgent environmental issues.

The UN has noted Mongolia's efforts in recent years to address severe climate change impacts in the region. In May 2012, the Mongolian Minister for Nature, Environment and Tourism proposed three initiative to ease the transition toward a greener economy.Tthe ‘polluters pay’ system, the improvement of environmental foundations to generate funds for green projects and the creation of a green loan to promote sustainable technologies are initiatives that have all been adopted and the country is reaping the benefits.