World Rivers Day is celebrated annually on the fourth Sunday of September to raise awareness about the importance and the need for conservation of the rivers. World Rivers Day 2024 will be celebrated on Sunday, September 22. The international event also promotes the conservation and sustainable management of waterways around the world. It highlights the values of the rivers worldwide and encourages people to take efforts to keep them clean and thriving.  Rivers face an array of threats, and only through our active involvement can we ensure their quality of health in the years ahead. World Rivers Day was established in 2005 and has grown into a global celebration that highlights the vital role rivers play in supporting ecosystems. In this article, let’s know more about World Rivers Day 2024 date, this year's theme, history and the significance of the day.

World Rivers Day 2024 Date and Theme

World Rivers Day 2024 will be celebrated on Sunday, September 22. The theme for World Rivers Day 2024 is 'Waterways for a Sustainable Future.'

World Rivers Day History

In 2005, the United Nations launched the Water for Life Decade to raise awareness about taking care for water resources. Following this, World Rivers Day was established by internationally renowned river advocate, Mark Angelo. The proposal for a global event to celebrate rivers was based on the success of BC Rivers Day, which Mark Angelo had founded and led in western Canada since 1980.

A World Rivers Day event was seen by agencies of the UN as a good fit for the aims of the Water for Life Decade and the proposal was approved. The first event in 2005 was a great success and Rivers Day was celebrated across dozens of countries. Since then, the day has been marked annually on the fourth Sunday of every September.

World Rivers Day Significance

World Rivers Day encourages people to recognise the crucial role rivers play in our lives, from providing drinking water to sustaining agriculture and industry. Many rivers around the world are under threat due to a number of reasons. World Rivers Day aims to promote better management of water resources, thus highlighting the significance of rivers around the world.

Rivers are home to diverse ecosystems and are essential for the survival of many species, including fish, birds, and plants. The global event aims to brings attention to the growing problem of river pollution caused by industrial waste and urbanisation, and calls for cleaner waterways.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 19, 2024 10:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).