International Day of Action for Rivers 2023: This year will celebrate the 25th anniversary of this day. It is a day dedicated to solidarity when several communities around the world come together with one voice to say that rivers matter. This day also emphasizes the importance of rivers for biodiversity. We all know that rivers are key to restoring and maintaining biodiversity around the world. This year, the world meets at the 15th Convention on Biological Diversity. River systems are the most biodiverse regions on Earth.
This day was previously known as the International Day Against Dams for Rivers, Water and Life. In India, there are also a number of projects launched to preserve rivers or fight against dam construction. Narmada Bachao Andolan is one of them.
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International Day of Action for Rivers 2023: Theme
The “River Rights” campaign, which promotes the recognition of rivers as national assets, is the theme of the International River Action Day 2023. In addition, it concerns the legal possibility to Prevent the use of rivers as wastewater or garbage disposal sites.
This year focuses on the importance of Rivers for Biodiversity.
The theme of Action Day for Rivers 2020 is “Women, Water and Climate Change”. Last year, about 100 women from 32 countries worked to protect rivers. They gathered at the first Women and Rivers Congress with the message:
“In a time of climate crisis, floods, droughts and increasing water scarcity, protecting rivers and people is more urgent than ever. We honor women gave their lives in the fight to save our rivers for all those who depend on them. We stand on the shoulders of the women who have long led this movement. We join hands with local and indigenous communities, who continue to face enormous dangers in protecting their water resources and territories.
We pledge to continue fighting to protect free-flowing rivers and the lands, forests and territories they sustain, to ensure women’s leadership in decision-making at all levels of freshwater resources, while strengthening and building alliances and growing our movement – for our future as women, our families and communities, our rivers and our planet we.”
International Day of Action for Rivers: History
Participants in the First International Meeting of People Affected by Dams held in March 1997 in Curitiba Brazil adopted an International Day of Action against Dams and for Rivers, Water and Life. Representatives of 20 countries decided that the International Day of Action will take place on March 14, Brazil’s Day of Action Against Large Dams. The main objective behind the creation of this day is to raise our voices together against destructive water development projects, restore the health of river basins and demand equitable and sustainable management. stabilize our rivers.
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International Rivers Action Day 2023: Celebration
Different ways to celebrate the International Day of Action for Rivers are as follows:
– To launch a photo campaign. Ask your friends and group supporters to post photos of your favorite river of themselves or of you holding a sign of a river, while using the hashtags # # DayofActionforRivers and #RiversUniteUs.
– To organize a “remote” phone banking party! Make a call to your network or group’s supporters to target public officials with a call to action during your event.
– Invite your friends’ family members and organize a party to celebrate the importance of rivers.
– To honor the rivers, you can hold a prayer ceremony, personal rituals, and any other grounding exercises you feel called to do, etc.
Over time, International Rivers has developed a series of regional and national networks of dam-affected people and their allies. Some of them are listed below:
Africa: In Africa, the African Rivers Network (ARN), a network of dam-affected people and NGOs, is working on river and dam-related issues. ARN’s goal is to promote solidarity among member groups; Amplify the voices of participants and discussions across the continent; and promoting the recommendations of the World Commission on Dams (WCD) mainly on more participatory dam planning approaches. The first ARN meeting held in 2003 focused on illustrating the need for a river issues network at the grassroots level. Let us tell you that International Rivers is an active member of ARN.
Latin America: International Rivers is also a founding member of Redlar, the Latin American Anti-Daming Network and for Rivers, Communities and Water. Redlar includes more than 250 indigenous, environmental, human rights and women’s organizations from 19 countries in Latin America. Essentially, it works to create strategies to deal with threats from hydropower development across Latin America. International Rivers also works with several national and regional networks in Mexico, Central America, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and other parts of Latin America.
Southeast Asia-Mekong: Several civil society organizations, scholars, and community movements in the Mekong region from Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam have built resolute coalitions at the national and Efforts to protect rivers in the region. It is also supported at a global level. International Rivers across the Mekong region partners with groups and supports their efforts to protect the region’s life-giving rivers.
South Asia: HYPHEN includes the Himalayan and Peninsular Eco-Hydrologic Network. It was founded in 2007 and its goal is to carry out dam projects in countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Bhutan, China, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Hyphen’s work is to provide training, conduct research and campaign to conserve the rivers, coasts and wetlands of the Himalayas and Peninsula, while also addressing climate change.
North America: Since 1973, American Rivers has protected or restored more than 250,000 river miles across the United States
Therefore, the International Day of Action for Rivers is celebrated on March 14 to raise awareness about the importance of rivers and speak out for river conservation and sustainable development. International Rivers Day was established as a stakeholder day to highlight the need for freshwater conservation worldwide. This day was first celebrated in 1997 and is now widely celebrated in different parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
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Source: pagasa.edu.vn