International Day of Action for Rivers 2024

Date: Observed on March 14, 2024.
Theme: “Water for All,” emphasizing equitable access to clean water and protecting rivers as national assets.

History:

• The International Day of Action for Rivers was established at the First International Meeting of People Affected by Dams in March 1997 in Curitiba, Brazil.
• Participants from 20 countries announced the “Day of Action for Rivers” to form a coalition against the degradation of ecologically sensitive water bodies.

Significance:

• The day serves as a global platform to raise awareness about the importance of rivers and advocate for their protection.
• It promotes the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of rivers, highlighting their role in sustaining ecosystems, biodiversity, and human livelihoods.
• It also addresses issues such as pollution, habitat degradation, and over-exploitation, advocating for laws and policies that ensure the long-term health of rivers.

Celebrations:

• Launching photo campaigns, organizing phone banking parties, throwing parties to celebrate rivers’ importance, and organizing personal prayer ceremonies or rituals.
• Various regional and national networks, like African Rivers Network (ARN), Redlar in Latin America, and Hyphen in South Asia, work on river and dam-related issues.

International Day of Action for Rivers 2024: Women and Rivers:

• Theme in 2020 was “Women, Water, and Climate Change,” highlighting women’s role in protecting rivers and territories.
• The first Women and Rivers Congress in 2020 gathered around 100 women from 32 countries to protect free-flowing rivers and territories.

International Day of Action for Rivers: Campaigns and Movements:

• ARN in Africa, Redlar in Latin America, and Hyphen in South Asia work towards promoting grassroots movements and advocating for more participatory methods of dam planning.
• American Rivers in North America has protected or restored over 150,000 miles of rivers throughout the U.S.

Conclusion:

              The International Day of Action for Rivers, observed on March 14, 2024, highlights the critical importance of rivers worldwide. It emphasizes equitable access to clean water and the protection of rivers as national assets, promoting their conservation and sustainable management for present and future generations.