image-i-nations trésor

World Drowning Prevention Day – 25 July

World Drowning Prevention Day, declared through the April 2021 UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/75/273 “Global drowning prevention”, is held annually on 25 July. This global advocacy event serves as an opportunity to highlight the tragic and profound impact of drowning on families and communities and offer life-saving solutions to prevent it. An estimated 236,000 people drown every year, and drowning is among the ten leading causes of death for children aged 5-14 years. More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in rivers, lakes, wells, domestic water storage vessels and swimming pools in low- and middle-income countries, with children and adolescents in rural areas disproportionately affected.

Drowning is sudden, abrupt, and shocking, with people often not realizing it’s happening until it’s too late.

What leads to drowning often happens in just a few seconds:
A small child slipping unnoticed into a pond or pool on a sunny afternoon;
Feeling invincible after a few drinks and jumping into the ocean for a swim;
Accepting that one extra passenger on the boat, despite knowing it might capsize;
Deciding it’s too much of a hassle to put on that lifejacket.

So much can happen in a single moment. But with the right awareness and actions, what happens in those seconds can also be changed – for the better.

Source: Text & Image: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-drowning-prevention-day/2024

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/     

World Fish Migration Day – 21 May

What is a Migratory Fish?

Migratory fish swim short or long distances daily, monthly or annually, to complete their life cycle, mate and feed! Some migratory fish migrate up and down rivers, others between rivers and oceans, and others across the oceans. Are there some migratory fish species you may know? Salmon migrate up rivers as adults to spawn in the same river they were born. On the flipside, freshwater eels are born in the ocean but migrate epic distances to carry out their lives in rivers. Bull sharks migrate up rivers and back through the oceans to breed and feed. And there are many more examples! Check out our downloads page for some cool fish fact sheets. Learn about their migratory routes and about some species you may have never even heard of!

Goals of World Fish Migration Day

We need to ensure the survival of these species for generations to come. But many times, fish do not receive the proper attention they deserve. For this reason, it is important we raise awareness about the plight of migratory fish and the importance of their survival not only for the environment but also for us.

Creating awareness is an essential first step to make real change. The primary purpose of World Fish Migration Day is to improve the public’s understanding of the importance of migratory fish, and how to prevent negatively impacting them. The next step is to enable citizens on the world to take action on these topics. Ultimately, we aim to create sustainable commitments from NGOs, governments and industry on safeguarding rivers and restoring swimways or migratory fish.

Source: Text: https://worldfishmigrationfoundation.com/portfolio-item/world-fish-migration-day/     Image: https://nationaltoday.com/world-fish-migration-day/

World Fish Migration Day – 21 May

Global awareness raising event

World Fish Migration Day (WFMD) culminates every two years in a global celebration to create awareness about the importance of migratory fish and free-flowing rivers. This international day of events is coordinated by the World Fish Migration Foundation. On World Fish Migration Day, organizations from around the world coordinate their own event around the common theme of: CONNECTING FISH, RIVERS AND PEOPLE. And this year it’s all about breaking free.

After a year of lockdowns, we all want to break free. With millions of man-made barriers littering the world’s waterways, migratory fish do too! This year we want to celebrate the hundreds of dam removals executed and planned in recent years, and encourage fish heroes far and wide to advocate for free flowing rivers, the removal of barriers, and the return of rivers full of fish! Let’s Break Free!

Source: Text: World Fish Migration Day     Image: RiverWatch

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