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World Water Day 2024, History, Theme: Water is the essence of life and is critical for sustainable development, healthy ecosystems, and human survival. Observed annually, World Water Day provides an invaluable opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to protecting and conserving our planet’s water resources for future generations.
With around 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water, as per the UNICEF data, this day plays a crucial role in promoting action to ensure everyone has access to safe, affordable drinking water by 2030, as set out in Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6).
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Bringing individuals, communities, organisations, and governments together to take action on water-related issues, several initiatives, from advocacy and public awareness campaigns to the implementation of projects aimed at improving water quality and accessibility, are undertaken to mark this day globally.
As we celebrate World Water Day 2024 today, here is everything one needs to know about this day.
World Water Day is an annual celebration that takes place on the 22nd of March every year. Since its advent in 1993, this day has been observed to raise awareness about water-related issues and encourage people to take action to address global water challenges.
The theme of World Water Day for the year 2024 is ‘Leveraging Water for Peace,‘ collaborating to solve water-related issues creates positive outcomes and builds resilience to shared challenges.
In his message for World Water Day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasised the urgent need for increased transboundary water cooperation. He stated, “Water for peace is the theme of this year’s World Water Day. Achieving it relies on far greater cooperation. Today, 153 countries share water resources. Yet only twenty-four have reported cooperation agreements for all their shared water. We must accelerate efforts to work together across borders, and I urge all countries to join and implement the United Nations Water Convention, which promotes managing shared water resources sustainably.“
World Water Day was proposed at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, with the United Nations General Assembly declaring March 22, 1993, as the first World Water Day.
Since then, this day has been observed annually, highlighting specific water-related themes and issues as recommended by UN-Water, the entity that coordinates the UN’s work on water and sanitation.
The significance of World Water Day lies in its power to unite people around the world on a shared concern for our planet’s water resources. This day aims to highlight the importance of freshwater and advocate for sustainable management of freshwater resources.
World Water Day 2024 will not just be a day of reflection but a call to action. With a growing global population and increasing demand for water, the need for sustainable water management practices becomes ever more urgent.
