In 2020, World Rivers Day was a celebration of the world's waterways. It highlighted the many values of rivers and strives to increase public awareness and hopefully encouraged the improved stewardship of rivers around the world. Rivers in every country face an array of threats, and only our active involvement ensured their health in the years ahead.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of healthy rivers and clean water has never been more important. On World Rivers Day, there were an incredible array of events, both physical and virtual, planned around WorldFish focal countries in preparation for the world’s largest celebration of rivers and the many lifeforms they sustain.
In Malaysia, the Global Environment Centre undertook its River Care Program within the Klang River basin with a number of activities including engaging communities in riverine biodiversity monitoring — Also, a “save our rivers” project launched and organized by Klang Valley Rotary in Malaysia.
In Bangladesh, the Bangladesh River Foundation and other partners undertook a virtual seminar on the “relationship between clean rivers and healthy lives.” In addition, Clean Water Bangladesh held a 2-day National River Youth Summit in Dhaka along with a “March For River” Symbolic Cleanliness programme, and a coalition of more than 50 pro-river organizations undertook a major effort to protect and clean up waterways — There was also a riverside folk musical program in Dhaka.
In Africa, there were events ranging from Johannesburg, South Africa which undertook the cleaning of a section of the Braamfontein Spruit — to Kisumu City, Kenya where the Happy Life for Development Community organization undertook efforts to reclaim the River Auji — to Nigeria, where the River Ethiope Trust Foundation, the Foundation for Conservation of Nigerian Rivers, in partnership with Earth Law Center USA, undertook various advocacy activities including the official presentation of the “Rights of River Ethiope Bill” to the Delta State House of Assembly.
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