World Rivers Day is observed every year on every fourth Sunday of September worldwide which means this year it falls on 25th of September. This day aims to raise awareness about river conservation, as recent studies have revealed concern about river depletion around the world as a result of various human activities.
This is a very serious issue because rivers are known as the lifelines of our world, and many of our daily uses rely on rivers, whether it’s drinking water, generating electricity, or serving as a mode of transportation.
World Rivers Day History:
Rivers have been very important since the beginning of human civilization, as many human civilizations around the world began on the banks of rivers, such as the Indus Valley Civilization, which began on the banks of the Indus, Mesopotamian civilization, Egyptian civilization on the Nile river, or Chinese civilization on the Yellow river. Rivers have played an important role in the development of human society.
Still today we are so much dependent on our rivers for everything as without rivers there will be no vegetation and plantation as a result whole world can turn into an arid desert. But despite this because of industrial activities and over-exploitation of our river resources from a long time today we are facing many climate change problems and if we continue like this by depleting our rivers it could lead to devastating effects.
Only Mark Angelo, a well-known river environmentalist, addressed the United Nations in 2005 during its Water for Life campaign, a decade-long effort to raise awareness about vulnerable water supplies around the world. Angelo was the first to propose an annual World Rivers Day to help the cause gain traction among the general public around the world.
The first World Rivers Day was observed in 2005, and all climate change activists demonstrated their solidarity by organising the inaugural World Rivers Day event. Today, World Rivers Day is observed in 100 countries around the world, with participants demonstrating to the community and society at large how they can limit the threats posed by depleting waterways.
World Rivers Day Importance:
The importance of clean freshwater has been critical in the fight against COVID-19, according to Mark Angelo, the founder of World Rivers Day. World Rivers Day is a timely opportunity for millions of people all over the world to come together and recognise the value of healthy, thriving waterways.
Rivers are a component of the water cycle. Water collects in a river from precipitation, surface runoff, and other sources such as groundwater recharge, springs, and the release of stored water in natural ice and snowpacks. As a result, despite accounting for only about 0.1% of the total landmass, they are frequently regarded as major features within a landscape.
Most of the world’s major cities are located on the banks of rivers, which are or were used as a source of water, a means of transportation, a border, a defensive measure, a source of hydropower to drive machinery, a means of bathing, and a means of waste disposal. They played an important role in the development of human settlements all over the world.
Man-made causes, such as over-exploitation and pollution, are the most serious threats and concerns that are killing rivers and drying them out. Because of the durability of plastic in the natural environment, it poses a threat to aquatic life and river ecosystems.
