World Wildlife Day 2023 – Theme, History, Significance

World Wildlife Day 2023 –  Theme, History, Significance

World Wildlife Day is celebrated every year on the 3 of March 2023. As per United Nations, Wildlife Day (WWD) is an opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora and to raise awareness of the multitude of benefits that their conservation provides to people. India being a mega biodiverse country has special importance for wildlife.  Being home to 7-8% of global biodiversity issues related to the environment is important for various banking, SSC, and UPSC exams. In this article, we will complete c information on World Wildlife Day its theme, history, and significance.

World Wild Life Day

March 3 is World Wildlife Day. It is a United Nations International day to celebrate all the world’s wild animals and plants and the contribution that they make to our lives and the health of the planet. With the ongoing 6 th mass extinction due to anthropogenic reasons (IPCC), the awareness and information around the need to maintain ecological balance is all the more important. World Wildlife Day is also a step towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal by 2030. As SDG 15 refers focuses on halting biodiversity loss.

World Wild Life Day History

Considering the threat to global biodiversity the United Nations Environment Program framed a new convention – CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The CITES Convention was adopted on 3 March 1973.  To mark this significant step towards the preservation of wildlife 3 rd March Since then has been celebrated as World Wildlife Day sine 2013. On 20 December 2013, at its 68th session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 3 March as World Wildlife Day.

World Wildlife Day Theme

This year we as a global community celebrate the 50 years of the CITES convention since 1973. In recognition and honor of work done to preserve and conserve biodiversity and wildlife the theme for World Wild Life Day 2023 is – “Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation”.

Within this theme, the day has a focus on two sub-topics:

• Marine life & oceans – with around 70% of our planet being covered by water, the impact of marine conservation is incredibly important.
• Business & finance –  Successful partnerships for conservation must find ways of including business if we are to reverse the loss in biodiversity.

विश्व वन्यजीव दिवस, देखें थीम, इतिहास और महत्व

Themes for World Wildlife Day in past:

You must also be aware of the themes of the past. The table below has past themes.

World Wildlife Day 2023 Indian Initiative for Wildlife Conservation

March 3 2023 will be a very special date, as it will also be marking the 50th anniversary of CITES. India is a signatory to CITES and has been an active member in wildlife conservation. India has been a party to CITES since 1976. Here are some of the pathbreaking initiatives taken by India for Wildlife Conservation.

1. Project Tiger: The Govt. of India launched “Project Tiger” on 1st April 1973 to promote the conservation of the tiger. Project Tiger has been the largest species conservation initiative of its kind in the world. There are About 50 tiger reserves situated in more than 17 regions including Corbett National Park and Ranthambore National Park conducts several assessments of a number of tigers, their habitat, and hunting habits under the supervision of the Tiger Task Force.
2. Project Elephant: The government of India started Project Elephant in 1992 for conserving elephants and their habitat. The project aims to ensure the long-term survival to the populations of elephants in their natural habitats by protecting the elephants, their habitats and migration corridors.  India is home to 55% of the Asian elephant population. Karnataka alone is home to 22% of the elephants in India.
3. Crocodile Conservation Project: For the conservation of crocodiles, the Government of India started a Project. As we know that the species of crocodiles are on the verge of extinction. The main objective of the project is to protect the remaining population of crocodiles and there to establish sanctuaries for protecting their natural habitat. It will also promote captive breeding, improve management, and also it will involve the local people in the project.
4. Project Dolphin: Released recently on the same lines as project elephant and tiger. The Gangetic river system is home to a vast variety of aquatic life, including the Gangetic dolphin (Platanista gangetica). The Gangetic dolphin is one of five species of river dolphin found around the world. It is found mainly in the Indian subcontinent, particularly in Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems.

Apart from these projects, the Government of India has started several other projects also including Vulture Conservation and India Rhino Vision. Recently India has seen excellent conservation results with Crocodile Breeding Project. The reintroduction of Cheetah In Kuno National Park is well-covered news. Even the states have taken various measures to conserve wildlife and biodiversity notable being the Tamil Nadu government which has decided to establish India’s first conservation reserve for the Dugong in the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay.

World Wildlife Day  2023 Notable Acts In India

India being a signatory to CITES has formulated a good number of acts for Wildlife Conservation. While CITES is limited to trade in wild species, India has comprehensive acts like Wild Life Protection Act 1972. Here are a few acts that ensure the preservation and protection of wildlife.

• Fisheries Act 1897
• Indian Forests Act 1927
• Mining And Mineral Development Regulation Act 1957
• Prevention of Cruelty To Animals 1960
• Wildlife Protection Act 1972
• Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974
• Forest Conservation Act 1980
• Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981
• Environment Protection Act 1986
• Biological Diversity Act 2002
• Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Rights) Act 2006

The theme ‘Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation’ will provide the opportunity to highlight the people who are making a difference as well as to celebrate the bridge that CITES has been for these partnerships to form, making a significant contribution to sustainability, wildlife, and biodiversity conservation