On March 22, 2025, Romania will join millions globally in marking the 19th edition of Earth Hour, a powerful movement organized to raise awareness about environmental issues. This year's Earth Hour coincides with World Water Day, with initiatives emphasizing the need to protect and regenerate vital water resources.

In Romania, WWF said it is using Earth Hour to advocate for the protection of the Carasuhat region in Mahmudia, part of the Danube Delta. 

This area, restored through ecological reconstruction in 2016, is vital for biodiversity and local economies through ecotourism and sustainable fishing. However, it faces threats from potential drainage for agriculture. WWF-Romania, supported by the local community, is calling for permanent protection of this essential ecosystem.

On the same day, WWF-Romania will organize a volunteer event at the Petricani Meadow in Bucharest. This urban natural area, which spans nearly six hectares, is home to protected species like otters, martens, and various birds. The initiative aims to raise awareness and protect this biodiversity hotspot through public education and improved accessibility.

In schools nationwide, over 6,000 students will participate in a contest to create dioramas of freshwater ecosystems. This educational initiative helps children understand the importance of water and conservation.

WWF-Romania is also encouraging people to engage in environmentally conscious actions, such as reducing water consumption or supporting environmental projects.

Further details about WWF-Romania’s Earth Hour events and activities are available here.

Cantus Mundi will also join Earth Hour this year. Thus, on Saturday, March 22, from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM, over 17,000 children and young people from the choirs and ensembles of the Cantus Mundi National Program will come together simultaneously in Romania and the Republic of Moldova. 

They will mark Earth Hour with concerts, recitals, and musical events, sending "a message of solidarity and harmony with the Earth." The program includes events across all regions of Romania, in each of the country's 41 counties, as well as in the capital city of Bucharest, and in the Republic of Moldova.

"At 8:30 PM, electrical devices will be disconnected, the lights will be turned off for an hour, and children, along with conductors, music teachers, parents, and their friends, will sing in public spaces, schools, parks, squares, and gardens. They will perform for the health of the Earth and the environment, as well as to raise awareness against waste that harms the planet," the organizers said.

For the first time ever, this year, the music will also be accessible to children with hearing impairments, through the translation of the lyrics into Romanian sign language, provided by the CODA Foundation – The Charm of Silence. 

The list of planned Earth Hour events will be updated on the Cantus Mundi Romania website and Facebook page. 

Earth Hour was first organized on March 31, 2007, in Sydney, when 2 million people and over 2,100 companies turned off their lights for one hour, demonstrating their concern for one of the most pressing issues today: the accelerated climate change. Since 2008, Earth Hour has become a global movement, involving hundreds of millions of people, communities, businesses, and organizations from more than 190 countries around the world.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Tatiana Dyuvbanova/Dreamstime.com)