Kathmandu: The World Wildlife Day (WWD) is being marked today, with the theme “Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet.” This annual event, celebrated on March 3, seeks to honor wild animals and plants while acknowledging their significant contributions to the ecosystem and human life.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the United Nations 68th General Assembly declared March 3 as World Wildlife Day on December 20, 2013, to raise awareness about endangered wild fauna and flora. The date commemorates the ratification of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife and Flora (CITES) in 1973. The United Nations Conference on Climate Change and the Conference of Parties, alongside the conference of state parties to CITES, endorsed Thailand’s proposal to establish this day during their meeting in Bangkok from March 3 to 14, 1973.
The UN notes that the CITES Secretariat has been actively facilitating global wildlife conservation projects in collaboration with UN agencies and other organizations related to wildlife and flora. CITES, which consists of 183 member countries, is crucial in these efforts. With over one million wildlife and plant species at risk of extinction, there is a pressing need for substantial funding for conservation initiatives.
This year’s theme, ‘Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet,’ emphasizes the necessity of enhancing financial flows to make them more effective and sustainable. This approach aims to build a resilient future that benefits both people and the planet. The UN highlights the urgency of innovative finance in wildlife conservation, especially as over one million species face the threat of extinction amidst an escalating triple planetary crisis.