March 22
World Water Day
The United Nations proposed this day in 1992 as part of Agenda 21 at the UNCED meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The reason is the fact that more than a billion people in the world suffer from a lack of drinking water, they do not have access to water. The promotion of UN agencies and non-governmental organizations dedicated to water-related problems is focused on the cleanliness and protection of water and its conservation.
Water can create peace or create conflict. When water is scarce or polluted, or when people have unequal or no access, tensions can rise between communities and countries. More than 3 billion people worldwide depend on water that crosses national borders. But only 24 countries have cooperative agreements for all shared water. With the growing impacts of climate change and a growing population, there is an urgent need within and between countries to unite to protect and conserve our most precious resource. Public health and prosperity, food and energy systems, economic productivity and ecological integrity all depend on a well-functioning and equitably managed water cycle.
