Event
October 2023
-
World Animal Day
World Animal Day
Цял ден
4 October, 2023
The idea of World Animal Day was originated by Heinrich Zimmermann, the German writer and publisher of the magazine Mensch und Hund/Man and Dog. He organized the first World Animal Day on 24 March 1925 in Berlin and moved it to 4 October for the first time in 1929. Initially he found a following only in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Czechoslovakia. Every year Zimmermann worked tirelessly on the promotion of World Animal Day. Finally, in May 1931 at a congress of the world’s animal protection organizations in Florence Italy, his proposal to make 4 October World Animal Day universal, was unanimously accepted. World Animal Day was chosen to be on 4 October as it is the day of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology, including animals. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) was the founder of the Catholic Franciscan order.
World Animal Day is the one day of the year that embraces all animals and the unique concerns of each, in every country. It’s a special opportunity to commemorate our love and respect for animals by doing something special to highlight their importance in the world. It unites the animal welfare movement, mobilising it into a global force for change.
Read more here.
-
World Habitat day
World Habitat day
Цял ден
5 October, 2023
In 1985 the United Nations designated the first Monday of October every year as World Habitat Day. The idea is to reflect on the state of our towns and cities and the basic right of all to adequate shelter. It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat.
Each year, World Habitat Day takes on a new theme to promote sustainable development policies that ensure adequate shelter for all. These themes often promote one of UN-Habitat’s focal areas such as:
- Inclusive housing and social services
- A safe and healthy living environment for all — with particular consideration for children, youth, women, elderly and disabled
- Affordable and sustainable transport and energy
- Promotion, protection, and restoration of green urban spaces
- Safe and clean drinking water and sanitation
- Healthy air quality
- Job creation
- Improved urban planning and slum upgrading
- Better waste management
-
UN International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction
UN International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction
Цял ден
13 October, 2023
The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was started in 1989, after a call by the United Nations General Assembly for a day to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction. Held every 13 October, the day celebrates how people and communities around the world are reducing their exposure to disasters and raising awareness about the importance of reining in the risks that they face.
The last twenty years have seen a dramatic rise of 151% in direct economic losses from climate-related disasters, according to a report released by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. In the period 1998-2017, disaster-hit countries reported direct economic losses of US$2,908 billion of which climate-related disasters accounted for 77% of the total. This compares with total reported losses for the period 1978-1997 of US$1,313 billion of which climate-related disasters accounted for 68%.
In terms of occurrences, climate-related disasters also dominate the picture, accounting for 91% of all 7,255 major recorded events between 1998 and 2017. Floods, 43.4%, and storms, 28.2%, are the two most frequently occurring disasters.
During this period, 1.3 million people lost their lives and 4.4 billion people were injured, rendered homeless, displaced or in need of emergency assistance. 563 earthquakes, including related tsunamis, accounted for 56% of total deaths.
Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, and that disasters will continue to be major impediments to sustainable development so long as the economic incentives to build and develop hazard-prone locations outweigh the perceived disaster risks.
Integrating disaster risk reduction into investment decisions is the most cost-effective way to reduce these risks; investing in disaster risk reduction is therefore a pre-condition for developing sustainable in a changing climate.
-
Central Balkan NP Day
Central Balkan NP Day
Цял ден
31 October, 2023
Central Balkan is one of three national parks in Bulgaria. Established in 1991, today it is the third-largest protected area in the country - 720 square kilometers, extending at the highest part of the Stara Planina Mountains.
The Directorate, a regional body of the Ministry of Environment and Water, is in charge of the park in order to preserve and maintain biodiversity and protect wildlife, to provide opportunities for scientific and educational activities for development of tourism and environmentally-friendly livelihood practices.Within the boundaries of the national park, there are nine strict reserves – Boatin, Tsarichina, Kozya stena, Steneto, Stara reka, Dzhendema, Severen Dzhendem, Peeshti skali and Sokolna. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorization, the park is protected area form the second category, and the reserves in it are from the first.
Central Balkan National Park Directorate carries out management and security activities for two reserves, located close to the boundaries of the Park - Elenova gora Reserve in the territory of Sahrane village and Chamdzha Reserve in the territory of Hristo Danovo village.
Central Balkan is an essential part of the National Ecological Network. Because of its exceptionally well-preserved habitats and biodiversity since 2008 Central Balkan is a protected zone under the two main conservation Directives in the European Union law - on the conservation of wild birds and on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, and is included in a coherent European ecological network of special protection areas under NATURA 2000. The National Park was declared an Important Bird Area of global significance - an assessment of its role for breeding, migrating and wintering birds in it.In 2006 the park was certified as a member of the Federation of European Wildlife and National Parks (EUROPARC). In 2009, the National Park was awarded the European Diploma of Protected Areas - the first and only in Bulgaria holder of the prestigious international award, given by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on protected areas with a special European importance for conservation of biological, geological and landscape diversity, a prize which evaluates the quality of natural heritage and the effectiveness of the protection and management system.
In 2017 the Park and the area of five municipalities around it – Troyan, Sevlievo, Pavel Banya, Karlovo, and Anton were declared as Central Balkan Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Programme. This new reserve encompasses four existing biosphere reserves Steneto, Tsarichina, Dzhendema and Boatin, all designated in 1977.
Since 2017, the most representative beech forests within all nine park reserves have been included in the serial site The Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe to the UNESCO World Natural Heritage.
International Black Sea DayInternational Black Sea Day
Цял ден
31 October, 2023
The Black Sea countries, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, the Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine, signed the Convention on the Protection of the Black Sea Against Pollution (Bucharest Convention) on 21 April 1992 and Black Sea Strategic Action Plan on 31 October 1996. October 31 has been celebrated as the International Black Sea Action Day by the Black Sea countries every year since 1996. This plan defined the policy measures, actions, and timetables required to achieve the environmental objectives of the Bucharest Convention. The Black Sea Strategic Action Plan recognises that collective action is required from all Black Sea countries to reduce the impacts of pollution on the Black Sea ecosystem. International Black Sea Action Day is a regional activity designed to raise public awareness of the need for regional cooperation necessary for the protection of the Black Sea. It is celebrated in the six riparian countries simultaneously.
Black Sea Action Day 2020 commemorates the 24th anniversary of the signature of the Black Sea Strategic Action Plan. On this day we celebrate the promise of a better future for the 16 million people from six countries dwelling on the shores, the commitment of the regional governments for serious action to make a real difference to the rehabilitation and recovery of the sea, the dedicated lifework of many people who devote their time and energy to help protect the environment.
See more on the Black Sea protection here.