Rivers » Reke | 81 CE L E BR AT I ON I N HONOUR OF R I VE RS Blue arteries of our lives World Rivers Day is intended to remind people of how important all the world’s waterways are to us and just howmuch our lives depend on them Tekst / Words: Jelena Pantović Fotografije / Photography: Profimedia.rs WORLD RIVERS DAY IS A CELEBRATION OF THE world’s waterways and the many values of our waters, an action aimed at raising public awareness about the threats faced by rivers and the urgent need to safeguard the health of rivers in the years to come. It was in 2005 that the UnitedNations launched the Water for LifeDecade, and the establishing ofWorld Rivers Day represented a response to the proposal launched by internationally renowned river conservationist Mark Angelo, who – as an avid paddler – has navigated a thousand rivers around theworld, perhapsmore than anyone else. Enthusiasts from all over the world came together that year to organise the event, and World Rivers Day was celebrated in dozens of countries. It has since been celebrated annually on the fourth Sunday in September. All forms of life on Earth need water.That’s precisely why it’s themost precious resource we have: it is depended on by the food we eat, the cotton we wear, and even the electricity we rely on every day. Freshwater habitats represent homes for a large proportion of the world’s biodiversity – more than 10% of all animals and approximately 50%of all species of fish. And yet, despite its vital nature, water is a shockingly limited resource. Less than 1%of all fresh water on the planet is potable and accessible,while freshwaterfloraandfaunaaredecliningatmuch faster rates than terrestrial and marine species. Therearenumerousthingswecanalldotoprotectour rivers.That includesopting forbiodegradablehygieneand householdproducts.All thechemicalsweuseareultimately washed down the drain, meaning that they end up in the rivers. A small change canmake a big difference: turn the tap offwhen brushing your teeth, take shorter showers, only use washing machines when full etc. The primary objective of World Rivers Day is to raise our awareness and compel us all to do everything we can tolimit thethreatsfacingall thewatersofEarth.Youmight be able tofinda local event, suchas anorganised clean-up of riverbanks, or to initiateoneyourself. Ifweallmade just a little effort, the world would be a more beautiful place and our rivers would be clean and sparkling...
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