World Water day is 11 days away. March 22nd 2019 is World Water Day. Every year the United Nations sets the date aside to create awareness and focus attention on the importance of water. It is celebrated annually around the world with a variety of events, that can be educational, theatrical, musical or lobbying in nature.
Safe water is any safely managed drinking water service that is free from contamination, available when needed and accessible on premises. In 2010, the United Nations recognized;
“the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and for all human rights.”
Today billions of people are still living without safe water struggling to survive and thrive. Access to water underpins public health and is, therefore, a critical element for sustainable development.
world water day
Some Key Facts
- 2.1 billion People live without safe water in their homes.
- 1 in 4 primary schools globally have no drinking water services.
- Over 700 children under five years of age die every day from diarrhoea linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation.
- Around 158 million people collect their drinking water from surface water, such as ponds and streams.
- Around 4 billion people – nearly two-thirds of the world’s population experience severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year.
- By the year 2020, up to 700 million people worldwide could be displaced by intense water scarcity.
