Environmental calendar
On February 2, 1971, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, Especially as Waterfowl Habitat, was adopted in Ramsar, Iran. The UN General Assembly officially approved February 2 as the UN World Wetlands Day in 2021 by resolution 75/317. The Ramsar Convention recognizes wetlands as natural or artificial, temporary or permanent marshes, swamps, peatlands or bodies of water, stagnant or flowing, fresh, brackish or brackish, including marine areas, the depth of which does not exceed six meters at the time of subsidence.
Today, 172 countries have joined the Convention, the number of Ramsar sites is 2503, and their total area is 257182378 hectares. Armenia joined the Ramsar Convention on November 6, 1993, becoming the 70th member country. Armenia now has three Ramsar sites: Lake Sevan, Lake Arpi and Khor Virap Swamp.
https://www.ramsar.org/
March 3 is celebrated worldwide as World Wildlife Day. The choice of the day is associated with 1973. This year, on March 3, a convention regulating the purchase and sale of endangered species of wild fauna and flora was adopted. World Wildlife Day once again emphasizes the role of the pioneer of nature in human life and calls on humanity to once again pay attention to the conservation of wild fauna and flora. Caring for nature should become an integral part of our daily life and activities. We are obliged to pass on to the next generations the untouched world of nature.
World Consumer Rights Day was first observed on 15 March 1983, and has since become an important occasion for mobilizing citizen action. Two years later, the consumer’s rights were finally elevated to a position of international recognition and legitimacy, when on April 9, 1985, the United Nations’ General Assembly adopted the general guidelines of consumer protection, following a decade long hard lobbying, by the consumer’s international, and other consumer rights group. The guidelines embrace the principles of the eight consumer rights and provide a framework for strengthening national consumer protection polices. The adaptation of guidelines promotes international cooperation in this field.
An annual celebration dedicated to the preservation of forests. It was proclaimed by the decision of the UN General Assembly on December 21, 2012 and marked for the first time on March 21, 2013. The International Day of Forests was created as a global platform that promotes the conservation of forests and mitigation of the effects of global climate change.
Every year on March 22 one of the establishments of UNO is appointed as a coordinator of measures organized in the framework of World Water Day all over the world. Every year the measures devoted to Water Day are organized on new subjects in order to represent the verity of water recourses. Our daily life depends on water. But in human’s consciousness the importance of water has been decreased. Water has become consumer good and very often we neglect this. In different parts of world the attitude to water and its use is different. It depends on traditions, local habits and social values.
Since 1961, 23 of March have celebrated as the World Meteorological Day.
https://public.wmo.int/en
On 1st of April, 906 the International Convention about the protection of birds was signed. From 1600 approximately 100 species of birds disappeared from planet. At present many species of birds are on the verge of extinction or at least feel the danger of disappearance. Many countries have laws about saving of birds of passage and participate in international agreements. Not hunters appear to be serious danger for birds but the peaceful types of human activities, such as: sky-scraper, TV towers and other high buildings, which are deadly prohibition for birds of passage. Oil leakage in seas ruins many waterfowls. Less important danger appeared to be environmental pollution.
Geologist’s Day is a professional holiday of geologists, which traditionally is celebrated on first Sunday of April. That was established by the order of Supreme Council Chairmanship of SSRU on 31 of March, 1966 as a memory of soviet geologists’ conquests. It’s said, that the Sunday of April had been chosen as a holiday, cause Geological hikes are often organized in the middle of April. Geologist’s Day is celebrated in every geological and industrial organizations of previous Soviet Union. Besides geologists this day is professional holiday for surveyors, exploders, workers of mine and that entire people, who are occupied with revelation and extraction of useful minerals, whose works are related with difficult works of struggles with nature for natural resources
On April 7 the whole world celebrated World Health Day
www.who.int/world-health-day/previous/2006/en/index.html
leaved for Nebraska province. Boundless prerians with lonely trees wind and sun, from which it was not possible to hide and the dried soil made Morton to think of planting of greenery. He suggested to establish the day devoted to planting of greenery and to give prizes to those people who has planted the most amount of trees. Since 1882, 22 of April have been announced the official holiday of planting of greenery.
Since 1970 during the celebration of the “Earth Day” great importance has given to environment protection, eco-education and eco-light.
26 of April is the Remembrance Day of Victims in Radiation Accidents and Disasters. Disaster of Chernobil is the biggest disaster according to his rates all over the world due to his damage and negative consequences to society, environment, industry and social sphere. Wide territories were polluted by long-lived radioactive substances, the negative influence of which reverberated on human and environment for many years and decades.
World Migratory Bird Day is an annual awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats. It has a global outreach and is an effective tool to help raise global awareness of the threats faced by migratory birds, their ecological importance, and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. The day is observed twice a year; in May and October.
On May 15, the world celebrates the International Climate Day. Climate conservation is one of the global problems facing humanity. Climate change, global warming are accompanied by natural disasters, human and human losses, reduced yields, low profitability, and an increase in morbidity.
On December 20, 2000 Main Assembly of UN announced May 22, /the day when the Convention of Biodiversity was enacted/ as “International Biodiversity Day”. /Resolution 55/201/. www.cbd.int/ibd/2007/
On May 31 World Health Organization announced “No Tobacco Day”. Representatives of World Health Organization consider that even the heavy smokers can do without tobacco at least a day. According to the experts of World Health organization there are more than 1 billion 300 million smokers, but as to the sociologists cooperated with World Health Organization in 2025 the amount of smokers will increase about 400 million, all over the world. Doctors confirm, that the diseases, which arise as a result of smoking about 5 million people die out. https://www.who.int/
In 1972, The UN General Assembly designated June 5 as the World Environment Day, which became one of the important holidays in the international environmental calendar, which is celebrated annually in more than a hundred countries. In the same year, during Stockholm Conference, the heads of various states created a special organization - the United Nations Environment Protection Program /UNEP/.
Modern technical development of human civilization has led to significant pollution of the environment. As a result of the daily economic and military activities of humans, accidents in industrial facilities and weapons testing damage the natural environment. Many compounds entering the environment do not occur in nature, they are artificially synthesized by humans.
https://www.unccd.int/
One third of the Earth surface is subject to desertification and land degradation that create a real threat to the livelihood and welfare of about 1 milliard people. Due to the long periods of draught, starvation and impoverishment for many of them there remains only one solution – to leave the place of their residence. At present, the number of desertification eco-migrants is already 24 million people. By the year of 2050, this number may reach 200 million.
Since the Conference of Rio de Janeiro in 1992 a new approach to tackle desertification has been proposed, emphasizing action to promote sustainable development at the community level. In this framework the UN General Assembly established an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to prepare a Convention to Combat Desertification, which was finally adopted in Paris on 17 June 1994 and entered into force on 26 December 1996.
The aim of the Convention to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought in those countries experiencing serious drought/or desertificationis through effective action at all levels, supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements.
Republic of Armenia is full and equal member of UNO Convention on Combat Desertification.
Since 2007, July 31 has been celebrated as World Ranger Day. It was declared by the International Ranger Federation (IRF) to celebrate the contribution of the Rangers to nature conservation. Thanks to the important work that Rangers do, people are able to enjoy clean air, fresh water, and a healthy planet.
The Japanese city of Hiroshima remembers the USA nuclear attack with the traditional ringing of commemorative bells, with white doves released into the sky, and a minute of silence. Exactly at 8:15 the Peace Bell rings in Hiroshima / exactly at this hour in 1945, on August 6, the US Air Force dropped an atomic bomb on the city, killing 221,893 people. In the second half of the twentieth century, the planet's society faced with a serious problem. International organizations began to declare more strongly that the country's authorities should reconsider their positions, calling on developed humanity to do everything possible to protect the world from destruction. The stock of nuclear weapons is so large that it can destroy several planets larger than the Earth. Political and non-governmental organizations in many countries demanded a ban on the further accumulation of deadly bombs.
Every year since 1999, the last Sunday of August is celebrated as Sevan Lake Day. Sevan is one of the largest high-altitude freshwater lakes in the world. Lake Sevan has a unique ecosystem and important strategic importance not only for Armenia, but also for the region. Sevan Lake Day is another opportunity to reflect on the lake's problems and ways to solve them. In the implementation of measures aimed at the protection of the ecosystem of Sevan, it is important to increase the awareness of the society, because the society is responsible for the cleanliness and protection of Sevan by its behavior.
On December 19, 2019, the United Nations General Assembly approved September 7 as "International Clean Air Day".
Air pollution knows no boundaries. We all share and breathe the same air, so we all have a duty to preserve the atmosphere and ensure clean air for all.
Air pollution directly affects human health and ecosystems.
The advice of the day is to draw the countries' attention to the problem of air pollution, to inform the public to avoid possible air pollution and to join the other organizing organizations for the sake of clean air.
On September 2, at a government meeting, a decision was made “On the celebration of the Day of specially protected nature territories in the Republic of Armenia”. Specially protected nature territories of Armenia include 3 state reserves ("Khosrov Forest", "Shikaoh" and "Erebuni"), occupy 35,439.6 hectares of territory or 1.19% of the total territory of Armenia, 4 national parks ("Sevan", "Dilijan", "Lake Arpi" and "Arevik"), occupy 236 802.1 hectares of territory or 7.96% of the total territory of Armenia, as well as 232 natural monuments and 27 state reserves, occupying 114 areas of 812.7 hectares or 3.95% of the total area of Armenia.
In 1994 Main Assembly of UN announced September 5th International day of Ozone Layer Protection.
It was identified in 2003 by the American Clean Water Foundation as a global educational program. The program enables people to independently carry out basic monitoring of the state of local water resources: to take samples from various water resources, assess its quality and understand the degree of its safety, as well as to monitor the state of water resources.
In October 4 World Day of Animals is celebrated all over the world. On this day in 1226 died Saint Francisk Asiz: “The sponsor and protector of our little brothers: beasts and birds”. His tender-hearted treatment to all alive creatures, his ability to feel their pain more then his own has become him Saint and all over the world people worshiped him. The prize named Saint Francisk is given for having a big merit in nature protection sphere. The decision to celebrate the International Day of Animal Protection was enacted in 1931 in Florence during International Congress of nature protection supporters. In that day the organizations of animal protection in many countries announced their agreement to celebrate this day every year to organize various mass measures to bring up sense of responsibility towards each alive creature among people.
October 14 is International Day of Natural Disaster danger Mitigation. First time it was celebrated according to the resolution of Main Assembly of UN on December 22, 1989: in frame of International decade of Natural Disaster danger reduction. In 1999 Main Assembly decided to celebrate second Wednesday of October of every year as international holiday. This will support the creature of global culture of reduction of natural disasters dangers and will support the prevention of natural disasters and the reduction of their reactions and being ready to that phenomena.
Stressing the importance of promoting the culture of Energy and Resources Saving within the society SPARE (School project of Application and Energy) declared November 11 as an International Day of Energy Saving on 2008. Since then around 20 countries of the world are celebrating the International Day of Energy Saving by organizing press conferences for Media, flesh-mobs, charity concerts, meetings, exhibitions, competitions and other events. Energy saving is a life style that can dramatically foster, both to our immediate and the whole Planet's environmental problems.
