World Ocean Day
World Ocean Day is celebrated on June 8th every year. First suggested in 1992 during the Earth Summit – UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, by Canada’s International Centre for Ocean Development and the Ocean Institute of Canada. As a result, international “World Oceans Day” was established in 2008 by the United Nations. The day was recognized to help achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and raise awareness about ocean conservation and sustainable resource management.Mesoamerican Reef Anniversary (MAR Day) 2022
At the 1992 Earth, Summit, Canada proposed the notion of a World Oceans Day. From 100 activities in 2008 to more than a thousand events in more than 120 nations ten years later, the United Nations recognized the occasion. In addition to special events at aquariums and zoos, beach and river clean-ups, school activities, conservation programs, and art contests, the day is observed in several ways.
History & Importance
The Oceans Institute of Canada proposed a worldwide ocean day during the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) Earth Summit in 1992. In 16 years, the United Nations General Assembly voted in 2008 to declare June 8th as World Oceans Day. ‘Our Ocean, Our Responsibility’ was the topic for the first annual observance a year later.The government of Canada had proposed the concept of World Ocean Day, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Officially World Ocean Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2008 to be celebrated worldwide annually on 8 June to resolve the issues of oceans and also to save ocean water.
According to the UN, World Oceans Day is an opportunity to raise awareness of the adverse effects of human actions on the ocean and build a global movement of ocean advocates. Additionally, it proposes that the global population be mobilized and brought together to work on a plan for the long-term management of the ocean. Many thought leaders, celebrities, institutions, start-ups, and industry specialists will take the stage on this special day to discuss the ocean’s biodiversity and economic potential.
Problems and Benefits
Plastic pollution is the most pressing issue confronting the ocean at this time. For several years, World Oceans Day has focused on reducing one-use plastics, such as plastic bags and plastic bottles. The effects of global warming and increasing sea levels are likewise a significant concern. Climate models attribute an increase in extreme weather to the warming of the oceans, which directly impacts weather patterns. In addition, many marine creatures are at risk due to rising seawater acidity due to increasing carbon dioxide levels.
Oceans encompass more than two-thirds of the Earth’s surface. It is the wellspring of life for humankind and all other organisms. As a result, most of the planet’s biodiversity is found in the ocean and is a source of protein for 1 billion people. Do you know? by 2030, an estimated 40 million people will be working in ocean-related businesses. While the ocean has provided us with countless advantages, it now needs assistance.
We are depleting the ocean faster than it can restore its resources, as 90 percent of fish populations have been reduced, and 50 percent of its coral reefs have been lost. To save the ocean and everything it supports, we must establish a new equilibrium based on a thorough understanding of the ocean and our relationship to it. We must establish a relationship with the ocean that is open to all. We must be forward-looking and grounded in the wisdom of the past.
All Events: 2022 Events Calendar
Fun Fact
When was the theme of the first World Ocean Day?
The first World Ocean Day theme was “Our Ocean Our Responsibility.”
