Sunday Is World Rivers Day in Dominica; Organizers Outline Activities and Objectives

Sunday is World Rivers Day in Dominica and organizers outlined activities and objectives. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) held the World Maritime Day with the theme “Empowering Women in the Maritime Community” on September 26. But the World Rivers Day will hold in Dominica on September 29 with the theme “Waterways in Our Communities.”

Chairperson of the World Rivers Day committee, Catholic Priest Father Franklyn Cuffy, said one of the main objectives of this year’s celebrations is raising awareness for river preservation and rights. He said he wants everyone to recognize and appreciate the importance of rivers in Dominica.

“This is an international occasion from the United Nations because there is a [global] scarcity of water,” Cuffy said. “Even here, I am concerned for our 365 rivers because we have that mentality that we will always have rivers and water.”

Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the Bense Anse De Mai, Anse Sol Dat, Hampstead, Community Tourism Group, Jacqueline Douglas, disclosed that the World Rivers Day celebrations will be fun-filled and educative. She said the awareness will link how people’s daily activities affect the health of waters in terms of environmental degradation.

“Educational speeches will focus on how our activities on land affect our rivers and seas and then affect us,” Douglas said. “We want to link the water with the environmental issues that we have been having. That’s happening all over the world. We have to sensitize people.”

She added that the celebrations will feature pwi-pwi rides, recycled tube rides, swimming lessons, live music and river food across the communities. Douglas said these activities will sensitize people into realizing that there is always a “connection between our lives and the life of the river.”

The IMO World Maritime Day focused gender equality and women empowerment as created under the UN’s sustainable development agenda for 2030.

“Gender equality has been recognized as one of the key platforms on which people can build a sustainable future,” said IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim. “It is one of the 17 goals that underpin the UN’s Sustainable Development Agenda, which countries all over the world have pledged to implement.”

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