A senior environment expert has warned that after global warming, pollution of oceans is the world’s biggest environmental challenge. Mohammad Darvish, Senior Faculty Member at the Pasture and Forests Research Institute of Iran, said that, according to some reports, accumulation of plastic wastes in a specific area of the Atlantic Ocean has caused the creation of the so called “Seventh Continent” which covers 3.5 million kilometers. Darvish added that this “continent” was made up of 5.3 tones of plastic wastes with a depth of 30 meters.

He said 100 tons of plastics were being produced annually of which 10 percent were being dumped into the oceans. Out of this 10 percent, some 70 percent go into the deep ocean waters and some 30 percent or 3 million tons remain on the surface of oceans. He said if not stopped, plastic wastes will cause irreparable damage to the marine life in oceans.

The seminar was organized jointly by NGOs “Centre for Pure Human Clean Earth” and “Hormod Sustainable Development Institute” in cooperation with the Cultural and Art Organization of Tehran Municipality and UNIC Tehran. UNIC Officer-in-Charge Mohammad R. Moghadam, delivered the UN Secretary-General’s message on World Environment Day 2012 to the participants.

The UN Office in Georgia (UNO/DPI), UN Development Programme (UNDP), and the Ministry of Environment Protection of Georgia, joined forces to celebrate World Environment Day 2012.

The “Green Week” events in Tbilisi and other regions of Georgia lasted from 5 to 11 June.  Green events included a marathon titled “Be Healthy in a Healthy Environment”; a photo exhibition and  live concert by “DUB FX"; a public campaign for youth titled “Safe Environment”, held in Borjomi and Tsagveri  regions;  an official reception  by the Ministry of Environment Protection; a public campaign to support “The Extinction of Persistent Organic pollutants in Georgia”, held in Marneuli, and a students conference on environmental issues and Rio+20 at Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.

World Environment Day celebrations in Georgia traditionally bring together non-government organizations, youth associations, media, international agencies and the government.

World Environment Day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972. To this day, it is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations enhances political attention to environmental concerns.

On 10 June, United Nations in Turkey and the Delegation of European Union (EU) to Turkey, in cooperation with the Bicyclists’ Association, organized a World Environment Day bicycle tour in Istanbul. The tour, which started on the European side of the city and ended on the Asian side, sent a strong message to world leaders, to pass sound environmental solutions for our world, so as to create the world we want.
 
This year, the tour attracted more than 5000 bicyclists including, UN officials, EU representatives, and members of the diplomatic corps. T-shirts and hats with UN, EU and Environment logos were distributed to the participants.
 
At the end of the tour, UNIC Ankara's Information Officer, addressed the participants and thanked them for being part of the solution to environmental problems, and for pushing for sustainable transportation.

The Maharashtra United Nations Association (MUNA) in collaboration with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the UN Information Centre (UNIC) in New Delhi, observed World Environment Day on 5 June, aboard the Coast Guard ships ICGS Samudra Prahari and INS Sankalp at Mumbai. The event was a first of its kind initiative between MUNA and the armed services that address marine environment protection in the state. The celebration was on the theme ‘Green Economy: Are you part of it?’
 
Deputy Inspector General, NV Narasimha, welcomed the guests and spoke about the activities of the Indian Coast Guard which include safeguarding the Indian coastline as well as protecting the marine ecology and environment. This was followed by the video messages of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UNIC Director Kiran Mehra-Kerpelman on the occasion of World Environment Day. The speakers at the event included MUNA Secretary-General A.A. Syed, Executive Chairperson Mohini Mathur, Secretary and Youth Wing President Ashraf Ahmed Shaikh, and DIG Donny Michael. This was followed by a debate between ICG officials and the members of civil society on ‘Environment Protection Consciousness in India’.
 
The event concluded with the ICG displaying the pollution response equipment on board the indigenously built pollution control vessel ICGS Samudra Prahari. Coast Guard officials said they were in the process of commissioning two more pollution control vessels that will respond to oil spills that risk causing damage to the marine environment.