Every year on this date, World Environmental Health Day draws the global community’s attention to the most pressing and acute environmental issues. The aim of this day is to draw the attention of both the public and governments to the need to preserve nature, not least for the well-being of humankind.
EcoPolitics explains what this date signifies and why it is being commemorated this year.
This date was designated as a day of celebration by the International Federation for Environmental Health (IFEH) in 2011.
Every year, the organisation chooses a theme for the day. In 2026, the theme will be ‘Environmental Health: Working with Science to Protect the Community’.
The IFEH notes that this theme echoes the World Health Organisation’s narrative that environmental decisions should be made on the basis of scientific evidence. At the same time, this demonstrates recognition of the important role played by environmental specialists, who help to translate scientific research into practice – through regulation, policy and the protection of communities.
Environmental experts therefore act as a bridge, linking science with its practical application in measures that people can actually feel. And it is precisely these measures, which are based on facts and evidence, that are capable of protecting people from environmental risks.
A healthy natural environment is not just about biodiversity or the aesthetic appeal of ecosystems unspoilt by human activity. The health of every individual and of the community as a whole depends on how clean the rivers and lakes are from which we draw our water, how clean the air is that we breathe, and how clean the soil is in which our food grows.
EcoPolitics previously reported that environmental pollution can exacerbate mental health problems, in particular by worsening depression and anxiety.
At the same time, global warming has another, less obvious impact on health. Due to high temperatures, people reduce their physical activity. In turn, a sedentary lifestyle increases people’s risk of heart disease, diabetes and even cancer.
