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WORLD Water Day is observed annually on March 22 as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. An international day to celebrate freshwater was first recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). This resulted in the United Nations General Assembly designating March 22, 1993 as the first World Water Day. Since then, World Water Day has been celebrated every year, highlighting a specific aspect of freshwater.
Water is a very important yet underrated resource on which the fulfillment of our basic human needs, our environment, socio-economic development and poverty reduction are all heavily dependent. Without water, we would not be able to live comfortably.
The challenges of water management
Water is special, in that it is a shared resource; therefore, its management needs to take into account a wide variety of conflicting interests. However, proper management of water is especially challenging, due to some of its unique characteristics: It is unevenly distributed in time and space; the hydrological cycle is highly complex; and any change in the cycle would have multiple effects. Moreover, this valuable resource is under threat by rapid urbanization, pollution and climate change, whilst the demand for water is are ever increasing in order to satisfy the needs of a growing world population.
Considering this, the United Nations has designated 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation. World Water Day has also adopted this theme, with this year’s focus for the day being on Water Cooperation. By choosing this theme, the United Nations General Assembly recognises that cooperation is essential to strike a balance between the different needs and priorities and to share this precious resource equitably. Promoting water cooperation implies an interdisciplinary approach bringing in cultural, educational and scientific factors, as well as religious, ethical, social, political, legal, institutional and economic dimensions.
Although access to water can result in conflicts, cooperation on water issues can be used to resolve conflicts and foster peace, at the local, regional and international level. Research has found that water more often unites than divides people and societies.
Much emphasis is placed on water because of the following:
• A water crises is looming, our water sources are under pressure.
• In the 20th Century the world population tripled.
• The use of water grew six times
• By the year 2020, the population is expected to reach 22 million. Some countries can run out of water in 10-20 years.
• Millions of people in the world live on less than 3 gallons of water each day.
• One in three people lack access to adequate sanitation.
• According to the UN, a child dies every 15 seconds from a water-related disease.
What can you do?
Although water cooperation might seem as something that should involve politicians, diplomats, etc., every individual can also play their part in saving our water resources by:
• Using less
• Saving more
• Raising awareness on challenges, demand, access, allocation and services and the need for increased cooperation.
Log on to http://www.unwater.org/water-cooperation-2013/home/en/ for more information about Water Cooperation.
Water is a very important yet underrated resource on which the fulfillment of our basic human needs, our environment, socio-economic development and poverty reduction are all heavily dependent. Without water, we would not be able to live comfortably.
The challenges of water management
Water is special, in that it is a shared resource; therefore, its management needs to take into account a wide variety of conflicting interests. However, proper management of water is especially challenging, due to some of its unique characteristics: It is unevenly distributed in time and space; the hydrological cycle is highly complex; and any change in the cycle would have multiple effects. Moreover, this valuable resource is under threat by rapid urbanization, pollution and climate change, whilst the demand for water is are ever increasing in order to satisfy the needs of a growing world population.
Considering this, the United Nations has designated 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation. World Water Day has also adopted this theme, with this year’s focus for the day being on Water Cooperation. By choosing this theme, the United Nations General Assembly recognises that cooperation is essential to strike a balance between the different needs and priorities and to share this precious resource equitably. Promoting water cooperation implies an interdisciplinary approach bringing in cultural, educational and scientific factors, as well as religious, ethical, social, political, legal, institutional and economic dimensions.
Although access to water can result in conflicts, cooperation on water issues can be used to resolve conflicts and foster peace, at the local, regional and international level. Research has found that water more often unites than divides people and societies.
Much emphasis is placed on water because of the following:
• A water crises is looming, our water sources are under pressure.
• In the 20th Century the world population tripled.
• The use of water grew six times
• By the year 2020, the population is expected to reach 22 million. Some countries can run out of water in 10-20 years.
• Millions of people in the world live on less than 3 gallons of water each day.
• One in three people lack access to adequate sanitation.
• According to the UN, a child dies every 15 seconds from a water-related disease.
What can you do?
Although water cooperation might seem as something that should involve politicians, diplomats, etc., every individual can also play their part in saving our water resources by:
• Using less
• Saving more
• Raising awareness on challenges, demand, access, allocation and services and the need for increased cooperation.
Log on to http://www.unwater.org/water-cooperation-2013/home/en/ for more information about Water Cooperation.
