site.btaUPDATED Bulgaria Marks Earth Hour, World Water Day

The last Saturday of March celebrates Earth Hour. Traditionally, from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm lights will be turned off or dimmed in people's homes and public buildings around the world in a symbolic gesture giving the planet a break.

In Sofia, the traffic lights on some streets will light up in green hearts throughout the day, the coordinator of Earth Hour, Kalina Boyadzhieva from WWF-Bulgaria told BTA. This will include the intersections: Vitosha Boulevard and Alabin Street; Vitosha Boulevard and Alexander Stamboliyski Boulevard.; Vitosha Boulevard and Patriarch Evtimiy Boulevard.; Vasil Levski Boulevard and Shipka Street.

This year, Since Earth Hour coincides with World Water Day, and some initiatives will be related to rivers and wetlands. A clean-up of the area around the Iskar River is planned on Saturday morning. 

The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) will join the Earth Hour initiative and turn off the lights of its building on Saturday evening. The lighting in and in front of the building, as well as on the facade, will be turned off from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

One Hour in Darkness

The main purpose of turning off the lights is not to influence energy consumption, but as an expression of concern, hope and positivity, WWF-Bulgaria explained about the initiative. "This act shows that every individual effort, no matter how small, can contribute to a better future," they pointed out. This is the largest environmental initiative in the world initiated by WWF, Kalina Boyadzhieva also said.

Boyadzhieva said that in recent years, Bulgarians have realized that protecting nature is important for people's lives. But it is extremely insufficient, more people need to become aware of the problem of climate change, Boyadzhieva added, noting that for some, natural crises do not exist until a natural disaster occurs.

WWF-Bulgaria recalls that according to the Living Planet report, there has been a 73% decline in the populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish. “Over the past 50 years, we have lost a significant percentage of the population of wild animals and this has an impact on the connections in nature,” Kalina Boyadzhieva explained. “We are working to pay attention to what is happening, what each of us can do before it is too late,” she added.

In a Facebook post, WWF-Bulgaria is calling on people to dedicate an hour to nature, using the time to clean the space around their homes or workplaces, to plant flowers or herbs, and to dispose of their garbage separately. The organization invited people to share photos of their activities on social media to set an example and to engage their acquaintances in the cause.

River pollution

The Iskar River is emblematic because it satisfies the drinking and household needs of those living in Sofia, Boyadzhieva commented. For years, WWF has been working to protect it, having developed a concept for its improvement, restoration of riparian forests, etc., she added. Boyadzhieva is alarmed that the river is polluted. 

She called on people to join the campaign to clean the river, thus drawing attention to the problem of pollution of water bodies in the country. With the support of the Iskar-Sofia Association, stocking with Balkan trout is also planned, which will take place immediately after the cleaning at the collection point. The initiative begins at 10 am. 

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Earth Hour is an international campaign launched by the international conservation organization World Wildlife Fund (WWF), for the first time on March 31, 2007 in Sydney, Australia. At that time, 2.2 million people and 2,100 companies participated.

For the first time Bulgaria celebrated Earth Hour on March 29, 2008, when for five minutes, between 8 pm and 8:05 pm, the street lighting and the lighting of some buildings in Sofia was switched off. Bulgaria officially joined the global campaign on March 28, 2009.

In 2025, the campaign will be held under the slogan: "Spend 60 minutes of your time doing good for the planet!". The focus of the campaign in Bulgaria this year is the country's wetlands and the invaluable role they play in maintaining ecosystems. The campaign in this country is dedicated to otters and their habitats.

The theme of World Water Day this year is Glacier Conservation. The aim is to draw the attention of the global community to the fact that glaciers are melting faster than ever. On the occasion of World Water Day on Saturday and in the coming days, various events will be organized with the assistance of regional environmental and water inspectorates.