UN Declares 27 August as ‘World Lake Day’ to Promote Sustainable Management of Lakes.
Important Days
In December 2024, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution—A/RES/79/142—designating 27 August as World Lake Day, to be observed annually. The first official observance will take place in 2025, aiming to raise awareness of the importance of lakes and drive global action for their conservation and sustainable management.
- The inaugural World Lake Day will be observed on 27 August 2025, marking UN recognition of lakes’ critical ecological roles. The chosen date coincides with the first World Lake Conference, held on 27 August 1984, in Shiga Prefecture, Japan—home to Lake Biwa, the country’s largest freshwater lake.
- The initiative was proposed during the 2023 UN Water Conference and later introduced to the General Assembly, supported by over 50 governments led by Indonesia. The resolution underscores the need for urgent global action to address lake degradation due to pollution, overuse, and climate change.
Main Point :- (i) World Lake Day aims to raise public awareness about lakes’ ecological and economic value—spanning fresh water, biodiversity, flood regulation, carbon storage, and recreation. It also emphasizes their role in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6, focused on water-related ecosystems.
(ii) The UN invites all member states, UN agencies, civil society, academia, and the private sector to engage in educational and conservation activities. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is tasked with facilitating the observance.
(iii) Lakes hold over 90% of the world’s surface freshwater and are vital for human subsistence. However, they face severe threats from pollution, biodiversity loss, climate-induced evaporation, and eutrophication. Without coordinated action, the condition of lake ecosystems may decline precipitously.
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