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 sqkm of rainforest and displace more than 9000 indigenous people.

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 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.
 * US president Bill Clinton signed the Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act.

June

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

August

 * US president Bill Clinton signed the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1996.
 * US president Bill Clinton signed the Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996.

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.