For those of you who don’t know, today marks the 19th annual World Water Day. March 22nd was declared World Water Day by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993, and has been recognized ever since. Each year, a specific issue with the world’s water problems is addressed, such as 2004’s “Water and Disasters” or 2009’s “Transboundary Waters”. This year, named “Water for Cities: responding to the urban challenge” emphasizes the growing scarcity of clean water in the world’s urban areas. Access to clean water is something many of us certainly take for granted, but for too many people around the world, sanitary water is simply not available. As Mashable pointed out in its article about ways to help the cause of World Water Day, drinking non-sanitary water causes more deaths in children than AIDS, malaria, and measles combines.
As I mentioned earlier, this year is dedicated primarily to raising awareness for the water-related issues in cities around the world. According to the official World Water Day site, one in two people on earth live in a city, and this number is quickly growing. Of this rapid urbanization, about 93 percent takes place in poor or developing countries where water supply is already an issue. Between 2005 and 2020, the world’s slums are expected to gain about 27 million citizens per year, and the urban population of Africa and Asia will double. Despite all this growth, the investments in infrastructure have stayed about the same, causing a decline in the quality of the water, and an inability to find a sustainable sanitation solution. Waste disposal is not being handled safely in these cities, allowing it to seep into the drinking/cleansing water supply.The UN is trying to bring attention to these growing issues which, as of now, do not have many real solutions. Funding is desperately needed for research into topics such as the creation of more efficient water treatment technologies, and ways to increase the recycling of water.
To find out more about World Water Day and the main event based in Cape Town, please visit the UN’s official World Water Day website, and to find out how to get involved through social media, check out Mashable’s article here.
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