Annually, on the fourth Sunday of September, the world’s waterways – our rivers – are put in the spotlight and global agenda as we celebrate World Rivers Day.
World Rivers Day is a celebration of the world’s waterways. It highlights the many values of rivers, strives to increase public awareness and encourages improved stewardship of rivers around the world.
World Rivers Day highlights the ecological, cultural and economic importance of rivers and aims to remind people about the importance of rivers in the world.
It is a reminder about the importance of taking care, protecting and preserving rivers.
Rivers play an important role in our lives. They are the sources of freshwater, which is the source of life and central to the socio-economic development of society.
Rivers not only provide us with water for human consumption but also provide for food, energy, recreation, personal hygiene, irrigation and a better and healthier environment.
From providing fresh water and supporting biodiversity to regulating the climate and sustaining cultural traditions, healthy and free-flowing rivers have always been critical for people and the planet.
Rivers in virtually every country face an array of threats, and only through our active involvement can we ensure their health in the years ahead.
Rivers worldwide are at risk as they are increasingly fragmented, polluted and undermined by climate change and irresponsible development projects.
The main challenge faced by rivers is pollution.
Chemical runoff from industrial, mining and agricultural activities, waste from human settlements, and sewer spillages contaminate rivers, causing harm to the environment, aquatic life and human health.
Over-extraction of water, illegal sand river mining, and climate change are also threats to the health and sustainability of rivers.
Pollution is a man-made problem. Human activity regularly pollutes and damages many of the world’s important waterways.
Individuals must refrain from using rivers and other waterways as dumping sites, as this negatively affects the water quality and also blocks the natural flow of the rivers.
Refrain from throwing foreign objects into the sewer lines, as this leads to sewer blockages and spillages, thereby causing serious river pollution.
Municipalities must ensure that their wastewater treatment plants are well-operated and maintained to prevent sewer spillages into rivers.
World Rivers Day is a call to action for all of us to ensure the health and sustainability of our rivers for the current and future generations.
If we let our rivers be destroyed, we run the risk of experiencing water challenges, so let us stand up, protect and preserve waterways for water security.
When rivers are at risk, so too is our collective future; therefore, we need to take our rivers seriously and protect them for their sustainability.
The best thing one can do to celebrate World Rivers Day is to adopt a river, clean it, protect it, and prevent its pollution.
Let us also practise water conservation to prevent the over-abstraction of water and ensure healthy and free-flowing rivers for water security.
Let us continue to regularly monitor the quality of water in our rivers to ensure healthy waterways.
Let us work together to ensure the health and integrity of our rivers and preserve them for future generations to come.
Let us be guardians of our rivers and work together to protect and preserve these vital waterways for the benefit of all living beings.
- Khoza is a communicator in the Department of Water and Sanitation
