World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day.
Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater. In 2013, in reflection of the International Year of Water Cooperation, World Water Day is also dedicated to the theme of cooperation around water and is coordinated by UNESCO in collaboration with UNECE and UNDESA on behalf of UN-Water.
The fulfilment of basic human needs, our environment, socio-economic development and poverty reduction are all heavily dependent on water.
Good management of water is especially challenging due to some of its unique characteristics: it is unevenly distributed in time and space, the hydrological cycle is highly complex and perturbations have multiple effects. Rapid urbanization, pollution and climate change threaten the resource while demands for water are increasing in order to satisfy the needs of a growing world population, now at over seven billion people, for food production, energy, industrial and domestic uses. Water is a shared resource and its management needs to take into account a wide variety of conflicting interests. This provides opportunities for cooperation among users.
In designating 2013 as the UN International Year of Water Cooperation, the UNGA recognizes that cooperation is essential to strike a balance between the different needs and priorities and share this precious resource equitably, using water as an instrument of peace. Promoting water cooperation implies an interdisciplinary approach bringing in cultural, educational and scientific factors, as well as religious, ethical, social, political, legal, institutional and economic dimensions.
You can do your bit too with these 10 water saving tips:
1. Turn off the taps
Leaving a tap running while brushing teeth uses 6 litres of water a minute. And by fixing a dripping tap you can save over 60 litres of water a week.
2. Boil what you need
Only boil as many cups of water as you need for your tea round - you'll be saving money and energy.
3. Shower with less
It's easy to linger in the shower when you're sleepy in the morning - four-minute timers can help. And switching to an efficient shower head will allow you to lather up in less water.
4. Save up your dirty clothes
Washing a full machine load of clothes uses less water and energy than two half-loads. This means lower bills as well.
5. Get a low-flush toilet
The average UK household flushes the loo 5,000 times per year. Modern dual-flush systems use just six litres - or four with a reduced flush - much less than the 13 litres for each old-style single flush.
6. Eat less meat
Rearing animals for meat and dairy is incredibly water-intensive. By cutting down on the amount of sausages and burgers you eat, you could slash your water use drastically.
7. Steam your veggies
As well as using less water than boiling, this retains more nutrients. If you do boil, try adding the water as tasty stock to soups, or water house or garden plants once it's cooled.
8. Reduce food waste
It takes a lot of water to produce our cereal, fruit and other food. More than half of the 7.2 million tonnes of food and drink UK households bin every year could have been eaten. Plan a week's menu and go shopping with a list, use leftovers to create new meals and check use-by dates. This will help you waste less food - and save the average household £480 a year.
9. Time your gardening
Water outdoor plants in the early morning or at the end of the day stops water evaporating straight away in sunlight and heat. Also, watering onto the soil rather than leaves makes sure the liquid goes straight to the roots where it's needed.
10. Catch rainwater
Installing water butts saves you turning on the tap - and your plants will thank you for rainwater rather than treated tap water. You can cut also water use by 33% by watering plants manually instead of using automatic sprinklers.