Let all the rivers flow.

Rivers are considered the "lifeblood" of the Earth, a vital source of food, fresh water, sediment, energy, and more.

It is estimated that about one-third of global food production and 40% of global fish consumption depend on rivers. Rivers also provide livelihoods for tens of millions of people. However, under the impact of climate change, pollution, and overexploitation, rivers are gradually drying up, with shrinking flow and drastically declining water quality. Many rivers are turning into "dead rivers".

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), about one-third of all rivers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia are severely affected by pollution, while high and moderate salinity affects about 10% of all rivers, rendering these waters virtually unusable for drinking or agricultural irrigation. Many major rivers, such as the Colorado River in the western United States, the Yellow River in China, and the Nile in Africa, are experiencing significantly reduced flows. Research by international scientists from McGill University (Canada) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) shows that only 37% of rivers longer than 1,000 km worldwide still flow freely, and 23% flow continuously into the sea without interruption.

The Colorado River as seen from the Navajo Bridge in Marble Canyon, Arizona, USA. Photo (archive): AFP/VNA

The degradation and pollution of river water resources are due to many factors. Besides natural factors such as climate change and extreme weather, human activities must also be considered, from urbanization and population explosion to the dumping of chemicals, wastewater, and domestic and medical waste into rivers. Furthermore, unsustainable industrial and agricultural development, along with numerous unplanned and haphazard underwater development projects, not only significantly alter the natural flow of rivers but also destroy the Earth's vital water supply network.

In 2021, the Moulouya River, a river over 500 km long in Morocco, stopped flowing into the sea for the first time due to its depleted flow after years of drought and excessive water exploitation. This served as a warning sign. When the Moulouya's water level drops, saltwater gradually infiltrates the surrounding groundwater aquifers and penetrates inland up to 15 km, separating the river from the Mediterranean Sea with a sandbar. Illegal and indiscriminate sand mining has devastated many rivers in Asia, from the Ganges to the Mekong. In Vietnam, according to statistics, over the past 20 years, the Red River's water level has dropped by an average of 15 cm annually, partly due to the increasingly deep riverbed caused by the "dragon's mouth" of illegal sand mining in some localities. When the main river dries up, its tributaries also cease flowing.

With the theme "Water for All," this year's International Day of Action for Rivers (March 14) emphasizes the importance of maintaining access to water in all aspects of life by addressing water rights, ensuring access to clean water, restoring rivers and fish stocks. It also serves as a message calling on the world to take urgent action to protect the Earth's lifeline.

In March 2023, at the United Nations Water Conference in New York, USA, a coalition of governments announced the Freshwater Challenge – the largest initiative ever to restore rivers, lakes, and wetlands, playing a key role in addressing the world's water and natural crises. The initiative aims to restore 300,000 km of rivers by 2030 – a length equivalent to more than seven times the circumference of the Earth. Proposed by Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Gabon, Mexico, and Zambia, this initiative has so far attracted 38 participating countries.

Projects to revive dead rivers have been and are being implemented all over the world. The Pasig River in the Philippines, the Riachuelo River flowing around the southern edge of Buenos Aires (Argentina), and the Huangpu River (China), which were once polluted or silted up during urbanization, have brought new life, prosperity, and vibrancy to entire regions after being restored. In 2023, Vietnam passed the amended Water Resources Law, prioritizing the restoration of “dead rivers” to restore degraded, depleted, and polluted water sources, create new flows, and improve the ecological landscape, along with programs, schemes, and projects to “revive the rivers.”

In 2017, New Zealand became the first country to grant legal status to the Whanganui River, treating it as a living entity with full basic rights like those of a human being. From this, the concept of "river rights" emerged, conveying the message that preserving and protecting "river rights" also contributes to ensuring the right to life and development of humanity itself. International Rivers Day emphasizes the goal of managing, accessing, and sustainably using rivers, so that all rivers flow, ensuring water resources for the development and prosperity of the planet.

According to the News Report

Source: https://www.baoquangbinh.vn/quoc-te/202403/de-tat-ca-cac-dong-song-deu-chay-2216524/