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World Cleanup day – 16 September 2023

On that day volunteers and partners worldwide will come together again to rid our planet of trash –
cleaning up litter and mismanaged waste from our beaches, rivers, forests, and streets.
World Cleanup Day harnesses the power of everyday people to achieve incredible things by joining together.

In recognition of the power of collective action and global environmental awareness, World Cleanup Day is set to secure the honor of a place on the prestigious United Nations Calendar!

It’s been quite a journey, in which the Let’s Do It World movement has spanned continents, capturing the energy and attention of individuals, organizations, and nations to unite in a shared vision: a clean and healthy planet.

Source: Text & Image: https://www.worldcleanupday.org/     

International Day of the Tropics – 29 June

Each year on June 29th, the International Day of the Tropics raises awareness about various challenges that tropical nations face. It’s also a day to celebrate the extraordinary diversity of the Tropics.

#InternationalDayOfTheTropics

The regions of the Earth that lie in the middle of the planet are called the Tropics. The Tropics account for 36 percent of the Earth’s landmass. It includes the Equator and parts of North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. This region is warm all year round. The temperature in the Tropics ranges from 77 to 82 degrees F. The Tropics get a lot of sun and only have two seasons: the wet season and dry season.

Some parts of the Tropics, like the Amazon Basin, get nearly 9 feet of rain per year. Other areas, such as the Sahara Desert, get only 2 to 10 centimeters of rain a year. This difference in precipitation affects which plants and animals live in the different parts of the Tropics. The Tropics are important because of the number of economic exports come from these regions. Also, about 40 percent of the world’s population lives within the tropical zone.

Biodiversity

While biodiversity is greater in the Tropics, the loss of biodiversity is also greater here than in the rest of the world. This loss of biodiversity is partly attributed to human activity, such as:

  • Destruction of forests and marine ecosystems
  • Overexploitation of industrial fishing fleets and commercial hunters
  • Spread of diseases and invasive species
  • Growing impacts of climate change

Because of these issues, many species of plants and animals in the Tropics face the loss of their habitats. They are also vulnerable to becoming endangered.
Humans living in the Tropics face many challenges as well. More people experience undernourishment in the Tropics than anywhere in the world. This is consistent with the higher levels of poverty in these regions.

Also, more people live in slums in the Tropics than in the rest of the world.

 

Source: Text & Image: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/international-day-of-the-tropics-june-29/

World Water Day – 22 March

Water is an essential building block of life. It is more than just essential to quench thirst or protect health; water is vital for creating jobs and supporting economic, social, and human development.

Today, there are over 663 million people living without a safe water supply close to home, spending countless hours queuing or trekking to distant sources, and coping with the health impacts of using contaminated water.

2018 Theme: Nature for Water
This year’s theme explores how we can use nature to overcome the water challenges of the 21st century.

Environmental damage, together with climate change, is driving the water-related crises we see around the world. Floods, drought and water pollution are all made worse by degraded vegetation, soil, rivers and lakes.

When we neglect our ecosystems, we make it harder to provide everyone with the water we need to survive and thrive.

Nature-based solutions have the potential to solve many of our water challenges. We need to do so much more with ‘green’ infrastructure and harmonize it with ‘grey’ infrastructure wherever possible. Planting new forests, reconnecting rivers to floodplains, and restoring wetlands will rebalance the water cycle and improve human health and livelihoods.

Sustainable Development Goal 6 – ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030 – includes a target to halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and increase water recycling and safe reuse.

Source: Text & Image: UN