FILIPINA STUDENT JOINS WORLD LEADERS IN UNESCO’S GLOBAL LAUNCH OF THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF PLANET EARTH

15 February 2008 - A Filipina student who won an international essay-writing contest in connection with UNESCO’s launch of the International Year of Planet Earth on 13 February joined policymakers, business leaders and the international geoscientific community in discussing potential solutions to the challenges of global sustainable development. 

Hannah Lyn Creencia, an 18-year old mass communications junior from Silliman University in Dumaguete City, began the panel discussion on the theme “Earth resources: threat or treat?” by reading from her award-winning essay on the continuing deterioration of the planet’s water resources through human abuse.

Creencia, who hopes to work in the UN system one day, argued for greater initiative in creating educational and sustainable resource-use programs among coastal communities. She believes that UNESCO has a leading role to play in issues of sustainable development, including climate change, but must raise its visibility to engender greater environmental awareness especially among young people worldwide.

Creencia also expressed hope for the future, dreaming of a day “when our country’s surrounding bodies of water become clean enough to support life which can only be found here” and “when every person … will stand up for the protection of that which brings life to us”.

Joining Creencia in the panel were the chairman of the board of French petroleum giant Total, the director of the United States Geological Survey, and the Chinese vice minister for land and resources.

U.N. General Assembly Resolution 60/192 declared 2008 as International Year of Planet Earth, designating UNESCO as lead international agency in collaboration with the International Union of Geological Sciences and with the support of the UN Environment Programme.

According to UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura, the event provides a unique opportunity for the geoscientific community to contribute to the UN’s sustainable development goals by promoting the wise use of the planet’s resources and encouraging better planning and management to reduce risks, particularly by encouraging political leaders to use the available knowledge to shape national policies.  

 About a thousand select guests including ministers, heads of geoscientific institutes and organizations, leaders in industry and renowned scientists attended the event. The speakers shared their views on relevant human-induced problems including climate change, population growth, resource use, and geohazards, as well as possible solutions to them. END

/wingret