Islamabad (Web Desk): The World Oceans Day is being observed across the globe, including Pakistan today (Saturday).
The theme for this year's World Oceans Day is “Awaken New Depths".
Pakistan is among those lucky nations, which are blessed with coastlines, stretching more than 1,000 kilometres along Sindh and Balochistan.
The country owns more than 240,000 square kilometres area in the Arabian Sea, which provides sustenance to over 4 million fishermen.
The oceans are the biggest natural resource in the world as they cover over 70 percent of the Earth’s surface.
Marine biodiversity experts believe that ocean is a source of 60% of oxygen and a huge sink of carbon dioxide. However, this huge asset of the nation is under various threats because of several irresponsible human activities.
Millions of people depend on oceans for their sustenance and livelihood. Over the years, we have overused marine resources. As a result, we now have plastic-filled oceans and depleting marine biodiversity.
About 90% of big fish populations are depleted and about half of the coral reefs are destroyed. These concerning numbers call for increased awareness and action towards marine protection.
The concept of World Oceans Day was first proposed in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This global event, officially known as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), highlighted the critical role oceans play in sustaining life on Earth.
The idea gained momentum over the years, leading to its official recognition by the UN in 2008.
The UN General Assembly designated June 8 as World Oceans Day, aiming to raise awareness about the importance of oceans and the urgent need to preserve them.