Since December 20, 2013, World Wildlife Day has been celebrated every March 3. It was by resolution of the UN General Assembly. It was imposed in commemoration of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Together with other United Nations agencies, the CITES Secretariat itself was responsible for promoting this day.
World Wildlife Day was created in order to raise awareness
The United Nations proposes a date to commemorate this important day for our planet. In general, they do so to raise awareness to society as a whole. Many of the themes proposed as international days are often overlooked by most people.
In this case, World Wildlife Day was generated to raise awareness about ecosystems and biodiversity, both animal and plant. Since a few decades ago, man’s action is producing a deterioration in the environment. This carelessness has had consequences in people’s daily lives. These are notorious aspects that can be seen in the social, economic and much more in the environment.
They wish to create a Sustainable Development Goals program
This World Wildlife Day is ideal to generate a Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) program. It is a program to defend biodiversity and to take care of ecosystems. It also serves to teach future generations to have better opportunities to care for nature. For this reason, this date is also known as International Nature Day.
Every species is important. Whether it serves as food for humans or other species. Or simply as pest control to maintain control of animal or plant organisms, so that they do not proliferate excessively. There are many threats to the environment on a daily basis. To mention a few:
- Poaching of protected animals.
- Indiscriminate, excessive and illegal fishing.
- Species trafficking.
- Environmental degradation and habitat destruction.
- Emission of greenhouse gases.
- Global warming and climate change.
- Overexploitation of natural resources and logging.
- Use of herbicides
- Disappearance of entire ecosystems.
- Proliferation of invasive species in fragile ecosystems.
There is a Red List of Threatened Species
According to a UN report, more than one million species are at risk. They may become extinct due to man and climate change. The International Union for Conservation of Nature draws up a Red List of Threatened Species. It emphasizes the extinction rates of vertebrate species such as birds, amphibians and mammals. However, many invertebrate species are also on the verge of extinction.
CITES is an international treaty that aims to monitor international trade in species. To ensure that this trade does not constitute a threat to fauna and flora. It covers more than 35,000 species, including animals and plants. At present, 183 countries have voluntarily adhered to this treaty. Everything to safeguard our planet, its ecosystems and all living beings that inhabit it.
