Today, on March 22nd, the world celebrates World Water Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of freshwater and advocating for sustainable management of water resources.
World Water Day 2023 is about “accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis.”
In a statement on the observation the United Nations said, “Dysfunction throughout the water cycle undermines progress on all major global issues, from health to hunger, gender equality to jobs, education to industry, and disasters to peace. In 2015, the world committed to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 as part of the 2030 Agenda – the promise that everyone would have safely managed water and sanitation by 2030. Right now, we are seriously off-track.”
Water-related issues, such as water scarcity, pollution, and climate change, are becoming increasingly urgent and require action at all levels. Governments, businesses, and individuals all have a role to play in ensuring that water resources are managed sustainably and that everyone has access to safe and clean water.
This World Water Day is an opportunity to recognize the importance of water and to take action to protect and conserve this precious resource. By working together, we can ensure that water is valued, managed sustainably, and accessible to all.
DID YOU KNOW?
- 1.4 million people die annually and 74 million will have their lives shortened by diseases related to poor water, sanitation and hygiene. (WHO 2022)
- Today, 1 in 4 people – 2 billion people worldwide – lack safe drinking water. (WHO/UNICEF 2021)
- Almost half of the global population – 3.6 billion people – lack safe sanitation. (WHO/UNICEF 2021)
- Globally, 44 per cent of household wastewater is not safely treated. (UN-Water 2021)
- Global water demand (in water withdrawals) is projected to increase by 55 per cent by 2050. (OECD 2012)
See the United Nations Fact Sheet for World Water Day 2023 below.