Millions of people in more than 70 countries participate in World Rivers Day. World Rivers Day is a celebration of the world's waterways. It highlights the many values of rivers and strives to increase public awareness and encourages the improved stewardship of rivers around the world.
Since 1985, International Rivers has been at the heart of the global movement to ensure river-dependent communities’ voices are heard and their rights are respected.
Rivers are the arteries of the earth, supporting the highest rate of biodiversity compared to any other ecosystem and providing for the livelihoods of millions of local, indigenous, and traditional people.
Rivers are also under extreme threat, with less than 10% of the world’s river basins protected.
Healthy rivers are critical to sustaining life on earth. Rivers are also at the nexus of the climate crisis and long-standing legacies of environmental injustice. In the last forty years, freshwater species have lost, on average, over 80% of their population. They are declining twice as fast as land and marine species. The major reason behind this alarming situation is our ignorance towards the environment and maintaining rivers and riversides.
Ways to keep Rivers clean:
- Conserve Water
- Avoid Chemical Gardening Substances
- Turn Waste into Compost
- Dispose of Chemical Waste Properly
- Do Not Litter
The quality of river water is essential, as the balance of the environment depends on it. Protecting rivers and defending the rights of the communities that depend on them is vital.
The occasion of World Rivers Day is a reminder that the onus of saving rivers lies on us and we must fulfill our responsibility.
World Rivers Day Poster 2020 (2.5 MB)
