Importance
World
Water Day is observed every year on March 22 to highlights the importance of
freshwater. The day advocates sustainable management of freshwater resources.
World Water Day is celebrated around the world with the aid of various events
such as those which are educational, theatrical, musical or lobbying in nature.
Theme and UN Agenda
UN-Water
is the convener for World Water Day and each year it selects a theme in
consultation with UN organizations.
One
of the themes for World Water Day reads “Leaving no one behind”.
It
is an adaptation of the promise of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development, the
Sustainable Development Goal 6 is aimed to achieve water for all by the year
2030, hence the theme.
2/3rd
world population could be under stress due to water scarcity by 2025.
According
to the UN, Billions of people are still living without safe water – their
households, schools, workplaces, farms and factories struggling to survive and
thrive. Marginalized groups – women, children, refugees, indigenous peoples,
disabled people and many others – are often overlooked, and sometimes face
discrimination, as they try to access and manage the safe water they need.
This
World Water Day, 22nd March, is about tackling the water crisis by addressing
the reasons why so many people are being left behind.
Problems Faced
The
worldwaterday.org lists the problems
faced throughout the world due to unavailability of water:
- 2.1 billion people live without safe water at home.
- One in four primary schools have no drinking water service, with pupils using unprotected sources or going thirsty.
- More than 700 children under five years of age die every day from diarrhoea linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation.
- Globally, 80% of the people who have to use unsafe and unprotected water sources live in rural areas.
- Women and girls are responsible for water collection in eight out of ten households with water off-premises.
- For the 68.5 million people who have been forced to flee their homes, accessing safe water services is highly problematic.
- Around 159 million people collect their drinking water from surface water, such as ponds and streams.
- Around 4 billion people – nearly two-thirds of the world’s population – experience severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year.
- Over 800 women die every day from complications in pregnancy and childbirth.
- 700 million people worldwide could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030.
According to the 2016 annual report by UN-water, the World Water Day campaign and related publications reached millions of people through social media, dedicated websites and other channels: The UN-Water annual report states that social media engagement (hashtag #WorldWaterDay) had a maximum potential reach of 1.6 billion people worldwide in 2016