WATER is a fundamental component of the environment, and is essential for sustaining life on Earth. Seventy per cent (70%) of our planet is covered by water, however, it is estimated that only about one per cent (1%) of this is freshwater and readily available for human consumption. With growing concerns surrounding climate change and the rapid growth of the human population, the demand for safe drinking water is  great and of grave concern.
In view of the importance of water to the world, a decision was made at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in 1992 in Brazil to have World Water Day observed annually on March 22. World Water Day has since been celebrated under various themes, each highlighting an issue of concern about the state of water in our world today.
Last year’s World Water Day theme, ‘Trans-boundary Waters: Shared Waters – Shared Opportunities’ highlighted the fact that water is a shared resource among nations, all of which have a role to play in conserving it for equal benefits. This year, the theme is ‘Clean Water for a Healthy World’, highlighting issues related to the quality of drinking water available to people around the world.
“Every year, 1,500 cubic kilometres of wastewater are produced globally. While waste and wastewater can be reused productively for energy and irrigation, it usually is not. In developing countries, 80 per cent of all waste is being discharged untreated, because of lack of regulations and resources. And population and industrial growth add new sources of pollution and increased demand for clean water to the equation. Human and environmental health, drinking and agricultural water supplies for the present and future are at stake, still water pollution rarely warrants mention as a pressing issue.
It is still a reality that an estimated 1.1 billion people rely on unsafe drinking-water sources. Therefore, the theme of World Water Day 2010 is focusing on raising awareness of water quality under the theme, ‘Clean Water for a Healthy World’.
Source: www.worldwaterday.org

Water for all – but varying quality!
Even though enough water is available to meet the needs of Earth’s millions of people, quality and accessibility are often very low, affecting the health and productivity of many people, particularly the poor.
Water quality is affected by pollution caused primarily by human activities. Low water quality means less water available for human use, and this is compounded by climate change. These realities point to the dire need for better management and conservation of water resources globally.
Climate change and pollution also affect human health and safety. As weather patterns change and temperatures increase, the risk of floods, droughts and other natural disasters will increase.  This will in turn increase the occurrence of water-related disasters in many areas.
With the glaciers and ice caps in the Polar Regions already melting at an alarming rate, these immense reservoirs of freshwater are at risk of being lost. This would have catastrophic consequences for people, especially the poor.
Sadly, despite its importance, over 1 billion people around the globe still lack access to clean water, and thousands suffer daily from the lack of it. In the world today, many of our most important aquifers are being over-pumped, and half of the world’s wetlands have been lost to development.

ACTION is needed now!
Water is one of our most valuable resources; we must, therefore, take the necessary precautions to protect and conserve it!
You can help by:

•    Reducing the wasting of water; use wisely.
•    Checking your plumbing regularly, and repairing any leaks.
•    Turning off taps when not in use; dripping pipes waste lots of water.
•    Making it a practice to ensure that chemicals and pesticides and their containers are never washed or thrown into drains, trenches, rivers or other waterways.
•    Collecting and using rainwater.
Reference:
www.worldwaterday.org
You can share ideas and questions by sending your letters to: ‘Our Earth, Our Environment/, C/o EIT Division, The Environmental Protection Agency, 7 Broad and Charles Streets, Charlestown, GEORGETOWN or email us: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com