1996 in the environment

This is a list of notable events relating to the environment in 1996. They relate to environmental law, conservation, environmentalism and environmental issues.

Events

• The IPCC Second Assessment Report is published.
• The woodchipping of indigenous forests in New Zealand is stopped.
• The Western Shield wildlife conservation programme commences in Western Australia.
• Construction of the Bakun Dam begins in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. When completed it will flood 700 square kilometres (270 sq mi) of rainforest and displace more than 9000 indigenous people.
• The Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996 was passed in the United States.

January

• The North Cape oil spill occurred when the tank barge North Cape and the tug Scandia grounded on Moonstone Beach in South Kingstown, Rhode Island in the United States.

February

• The Sea Empress oil spill occurred at the entrance to the Milford Haven Waterway in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

May

• The Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act is signed into law in the United States.
• The Convention of the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region or Nairobi Convention of 1985, a regional framework agreement for marine environmental management, comes into effect.

June

• The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act is passed in New Zealand.

November

• World-renowned bird expert Tony Silva is sentenced to seven years in prison without parole for leading an illegal parrot smuggling ring.

December

• The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification entered into force.

See also

• Human impact on the environment
• List of environmental issues