World Water Day 2024: Water is one of the five elements of nature. What sustains life. We cannot imagine a single minute without water. Earth is covered up nearly 70 percent of the surface with water. Water is everywhere. Water makes up around 70% of the human body. The first life on earth is believed to form in water. Water is a natural resource and it plays an important role in our daily lives. From drinking to bathing, we are dependent on freshwater.
Groundwater fulfils our daily needs mostly. Natural resources like rivers, lakes, waterfalls and groundwater are the source of freshwater that is drinkable. According to WHO “2.2 billion still live without safely managed drinking water, including 115 million people who drink surface water”. The misuse of water is rising with the urbanisation, modernisation and rising population world wide. Modern lifestyle is increasing the mismanagement of water resources and the groundwater levels are depleting day by day with the rising population. World Water Day is celebrated every year on 22nd March. The aim is to divert the attention of the people towards water resources management and protection. As a smart and advanced society we need to take steps towards the management and protection of natural resources and preservation of water so that we can leave it for our future generations.
World Water Day 2024: Date
World Water Day is held on 22nd March every year. This year it will be observed on Friday. On this day awareness programmes, parades, campaigns and fairs are organised in different places to increase the awareness and knowledge about management of water resources and reservation of water.
World Water Day 2024 Theme
The theme for World Water Day 2024 is ‘Leveraging Water for Peace’. As the theme suggests, transboundary water cooperation is very important for universal peace and sustainable development. Around 60 percent of the world’s freshwater is transboundary water, but only 24 countries have cooperation agreements for the shared water. Growing population’s water needs are increasing exponentially and unity among countries is the only option to solve this problem. As per UN-ater “The transboundary waters account for 60 per cent of the world’s freshwater flows, and 153 countries have territory within at least 1 of the 310 transboundary river and lake basins and inventoried 468 transboundary aquifer systems. Only 24 countries report that all their transboundary basins are covered by cooperation arrangements”.
World Water Day Themes Over the Years (1994-2024)
These are the themes of World Water Day from 1994 to 2024:
World Water Day 2024 Theme | Water for Peace |
WWD theme 2023 | Accelerating Change |
WWD theme 2022 | Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible |
World Water Day 2021 Theme | Valuing Water |
WWD theme 2020 | Water and Climate Change |
WWD theme 2019 | Leaving No One Behind |
World Water Day 2018 theme | Nature for Water |
WWD theme 2017 | Why Waste Water? |
WWD theme 2016 | Better Water, Better Jobs |
World Water Day 2015 Theme | Water and Sustainable Development |
WWD theme 2014 | Water and Energy |
WWD theme 2013 | International Year of Cooperation |
World Water Day 2012 Theme | Water and Food Security |
WWD theme 2011 | Water for Cities |
WWD theme 2010 | Clean Water for a Healthy World |
World Water Day 2009 Theme | Trans Waters |
WWD theme 2008 | Sanitation |
WWD theme 2007 | Coping with Water Scarcity |
World Water Day 2006 Theme | Water and Culture |
WWD theme 2005 | Water for Life Decade |
WWD theme 2004 | Water and Disaster |
World Water Day 2003 Theme | Water for Future |
WWD theme 2002 | Water for Development |
WWD theme 2001 | Water for Health |
World Water Day 2000 Theme | Water for the 21st century |
WWD theme 1999 | Everyone Lives Downstream |
WWD theme 1998 | Groundwater the Invisible Resource |
World Water Day 1997 Theme | The World’s Water: Is there enough? |
WWD theme 1996 | Water for Thirsty Cities |
WWD theme 1995 | Women and Water |
World Water Day 1994 Theme | Caring for Our Water Resources is Everybody’s Business |
World Water Day 2024 History
On 22nd March 1992 UN general assembly adopted a resolution A/RES/47/193 and declared 22nd March as Water Day. We have observed World Water Day every year on 22nd since 1993 March to increase awareness about water and its importance. It was first officially proposed in Agenda 21 of Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was after 1993 when people started observing this day and after that a notable growth was seen in its importance. Every year a UN agency takes the lead in coordinating and promoting world wide activities related to water issues. UN-Water was conceived in 2003 and since then it is taking all the responsibilities for choosing themes, messages and leading UN agencies on this day.
World Water Day 2024 Significance
Earth is covered up nearly 70 percent of the surface with water. Water is everywhere. Water makes up around 70% of the human body. The first life on earth is believed to form in water. Water is a natural resource and it plays an important role in our daily lives.”World Water Day encourages action to address the global water crisis while also celebrating water.” Assistance in achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6—water and sanitation for all by 2030—is a primary goal of World Water Day. World Water Day is an annual event of the United Nations that emphasises the value of freshwater. It is organised by UN-Water and directed by one or more Members and Partners of UN-Water who have a corresponding mandate, according to the UN on their official website. The day attempts to start a dialogue and increase awareness of the value of conserving water.
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