By: E. Lynn Grayson
World Water Day is held annually on March 22 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 2014, World Water Day is on "Water and Energy." The following is a list of World Water Day themes since 1994.
- 2013 Water Cooperation
- 2012 Water and Food Security
- 2011 Water for Cities
- 2010 Water Quality
- 2009 Transboundary Waters
- 2008 International Year of Sanitation
- 2007 Water Scarcity
- 2006 Water and Culture
- 2005 Water for Life 2005-2015
- 2004 Water and Disaster
- 2003 Water for the Future
- 2002 Water for Development
- 2001 Water for Health – Taking Charge
- 2000 Water for the 21st Century
- 1999 Everyone lives Downstream
- 1998 Groundwater – The Invisible Resource
- 1997 The World's Water – Is There Enough?
- 1996 Water for Thirsty Cities
- 1995 Women and Water
- 1994 Caring for Our Water Resources is Everyone's Business
In 2014, the UN System – working closely with its Member States and other relevant stakeholders – is collectively bringing its attention to the water-energy nexus, particularly addressing inequities, especially for the 'bottom billion' who live in slums and impoverished rural areas and survive without access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, sufficient food and energy services. It also aims to facilitate the development of policies and crosscutting frameworks that bridge ministries and sectors, leading the way to energy security and sustainable water use in a green economy. Particular attention will be paid to identifying best practices that can make a water- and energy-efficient 'Green Industry' a reality.
Objectives of World Water Day in 2014:
- Raise awareness of the inter-linkages between water and energy
- Contribute to a policy dialogue that focuses on the broad range of issues related to the nexus of water and energy
- Demonstrate, through case studies, to decision makers in the energy sector and the water domain that integrated approaches and solutions to water-energy issues can achieve greater economic and social impacts
- Identify policy formulation and capacity development issues in which the UN system, in particular UN-Water and UN-Energy can offer significant contributions
- Identify key stakeholders in the water-energy nexus and actively engaging them in further developing the water-energy linkages
- Contribute as relevant to the post-2015 discussions in relation to the water-energy nexus.
For more information about this year's World Water Day, visit UN Water at http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/about-world-water-day/world-water-day-2014-water-and-energy/en/