World Water Day is celebrated every year on March 22 since 1993
World Water Day is celebrated on March 22 every year to highlight the importance of fresh water. The tradition has continued since 1993. According to the United Nations website, more than 2.2 billion people live without the access to safe water. This year the day is highlighting the global water crisis and aims to support achieving Sustainable Water and Sanitation for all by 2030. The concept and idea for this day goes back all the way to 1992 in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil when the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development took place.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also tweeted on the occasion saying, “On World Water Day, let’s reaffirm our pledge to save every drop of water. Our nation is undertaking numerous measures like Jal Jeevan Mission to ensure water conservation and access to clean drinking water for our citizens.”
He added, “Over the last few years, it is heartening to see water conversation become a mass movement, with innovative efforts taking place in all parts of the nation. I would like to appreciate all those individuals and organisations who are working towards saving water.”
Over the last few years, it is heartening to see water conversation become a mass movement, with innovative efforts taking place in all parts of the nation. I would like to appreciate all those individuals and organisations who are working towards saving water.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 22, 2022
The focus for this year is groundwater, which is a dwindling resource overused by many countries. While groundwater is pumped for domestic and industrial use, it also is critical to the healthy functioning of ecosystems. The UN on its website has detailed the troubling trend of an over reliance on ground water saying, “We must protect them from overexploitation – abstracting more water than is recharged by rain and snow – and the pollution that currently haunts them, since it can lead to the depletion of this resource, extra-costs of processing it, and sometimes even preventing its use.” The United Nations has also asked people to shoot a 60-second video describing the impact ground water has on the person’s life, as well as what else can be done to protect it.
It said users can post the video with hashtags #MyGroundwaterStory and #WorldWaterDay to YouTube or Vimeo.