Dhaka, June 5 -- Our lives are intimately connected to forests, rivers, mountains, and seasons. We are part of nature and nature is part of us - it shapes our values, our perspectives, our livelihoods, and our relations to other people and the environment around us.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of travelling across mountain regions and ecosystems around the globe. Whether in the Himalaya, the Arctic, or other fragile landscapes, I have seen a common truth: where nature thrives, communities thrive. When ecosystems are degraded, the consequences are felt first and most deeply by people.

The Labandaha River: Vanishing Under Encroachment and Pollution

This is why the World Environment Day 2026 theme, "Inspired by Nature. For Cl...