KATHMANDU, Aug 27: The World Lake Day is being observed for the first time across the globe today.
According to the United Nations, there are more than 117 million lakes on earth, covering some 4 percent of land surface.
The lakes are reliable sources of fresh water to the entire planet, but it is worrying that the quality of lake water has been declining fast for some years.
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"If we continue to put pressure on them, lakes will face a serious decline. By 2050, their ecosystem value could drop by 20 percent; pollution could more than double, and methane emissions may surge—fueling both environmental damage and economic loss. Freshwater species have declined by 85 percent over the past 50 years," a UN page stated.
The observation of the World Lake Day is expected to create public awareness on present threats to the world's lakes and promote initiatives for the preservation, restoration and sustainable management of lakes.
The UN had organized an event, zeroing in on the importance of lakes, thereby passing the Resolution A/RES/79/142 that determined August 27 as the World Lake Day. The UN Environment Programme has been designated as the chief agency facilitating the observation of the Day.
The UN Resolution passed in 2024 had emphasized, "Water ecosystems, including lakes, energy, food security and nutrition are linked and that water is indispensable for health, well-being and human development, and a vital element of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and other relevant goals in the social, environmental and economic fields."
It further recognized the urgency to revive fast declining quality and quantity of lake water in the world.
The SDG Knowledge Hub has described contaminants, fertilizers, and solid waste as major pollutants to the lakes. "Rising temperatures and cloud cover changes are causing increased water levels in lakes," he added.
