World Cancer Day

 

What is World Cancer Day?

A truly global event taking place every year on 4 February, World Cancer Day unites the world’s population in the fight against cancer.

It aims to save millions of preventable deaths each year by raising awareness and education about the disease, pressing governments and individuals across the world to take action. 

Why World Cancer Day is important

• Currently, 8.2 million people die from cancer worldwide every year, out of which, 4 million people die prematurely (aged 30 to 69 years)
  
• World Cancer Day is the ideal opportunity to spread the word and raise the profile of cancer in people’s minds and in the world’s media

 

World Wetlands Day

World Wetlands Day is celebrated internationally each year on 2 February. It marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, on 2 February 1971.

World Wetlands Day was first celebrated in 1997. Since then government agencies, non-government organisations and community groups have celebrated World Wetlands Day by undertaking actions to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits and promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands. These activities include seminars, nature walks, festivals, announcement of new Ramsar sites, newspaper articles, radio interviews and wetland rehabilitation.

World Wetlands Day 2016

The international theme for World Wetlands Day 2016 is Wetlands for our future: sustainable livelihoods. This theme will be reflected in the February 2016 edition of Wetlands Australia and a series of fact sheets.

Wetlands play an important role in the processes that keep our landscapes healthy and productive. They support industries such as agriculture, fisheries, forestry and tourism by supplying water for crops, stock and people, maintaining water quality, providing habitat for commercial species and having cultural and recreational values. Wetlands host a huge variety of life, protect our coastlines, provide natural defences against river flooding or storm surges and store carbon dioxide to regulate climate change.

Unfortunately, wetlands are often viewed as wasteland, and more than 64% of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1900. World Wetlands Day is an annual opportunity to raise public awareness and promote the value of wetlands.

The Ramsar Convention Secretariat has developed a number of downloadable World Wetlands Day materials for 2016, including a teaching guide, handouts, posters and fact sheets. These materials can be found on the Ramsar Convention Secretariat’s World Wetlands Day 2016 website (link is external). Groups and individuals are encouraged to adapt these materials for their own World Wetlands Day events and activities.