Message from Boutros Boutros-Ghali

World Environment Day is an occasion to reflect on the state of our fragile environment. It is an observance that draws attention to some of the ominous ways in which humanity is imperiling its own habitation. It emphasizes the urgency of changing our attitudes and behavior, through responsible practices and actions.

The theme of this year's World Environment Day is "Our Earth, Our Habitat, Our Home".

As the world moves into the 21st century, it will mark the passing from an age when most of this population resided in rural areas to one in which most will be urban residents. Clearly, humankind's future will unfold in settings that are predominantly urban.

Today, the explosive and continuing growth rates of urban areas have created some profound challenges for the sustainable management of these settlements. The blanket of smog that hangs over cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City, Delhi, Beijing and tens of thousands of smaller cities is a symbol of the many urgent problems that demand our attention -- from unchecked emissions to inadequate sanitation, from chemical accidents to urban fires.

As the pace of global integration accelerates, the lines that separate a city, a country, a region, and a continent will progressively blur. The future of our cities will determine more and more not only the future of nations but also of the planet in its entirety. We ignored the issue of sustainable management of cities at our own peril.

If cities are to continue to be the engines for economic growth, as they have been throughout human history, their future development has to be based on considerations that are environmentally sustainable.

Astronauts have seen how meaningless national boundaries can be in terms of the biosphere. We cannot allow these dividing lines to obscure our view of the one planet we share.

The perception of the whole Earth as our home, as the integral place whose fortune and whose future is our own may be the essential first step to survival.

World Environment Day is a call for conscience, and a call for action. On this day, let us enlighten ourselves, not only for the benefit of our own lives but also for the well-being of generations to come. The environmental crisis allows no time for delay. Action is needed now.