World Water Day 2021: Theme, History And 10 Key Water Facts

Today is World Water Day. The approaching summer season and the coronavirus pandemic have given a silent warning to the world on how critical the availability of clean water is. World Water Day, a United Nations designated day, is marked every year on March 22. The day is dedicated to raising ''awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water.'' What are we doing to ensure that everyone, particularly the underprivileged, get safe water? World Water Dayis all about taking action about the global water crisis. Many of us have seen little children as well as the elderly, with containers of all sizes, queuing up near the water tankers or taps, while driving past. It's time we stop, think and act. At the local level we need to go all out to make sure that everyone in our neighbourhood gets water for their daily needs. On World Water Day, let's pledge that we won't waste water or allow anyone to waste water.

World Water Day 2021 Theme

The theme of World Water Day this year, according to the United Nations is "Valuing Water" and ''how we can better protect this vital resource. The value of water is about much more than its price." This universal solvent has "enormous and complex value for our households, culture, health, education, economics and the integrity of our natural environment. If we overlook any of these values, we risk mismanaging this finite, irreplaceable resource."

World Water Day: 10 Key Facts

1. "Today, 1 in 3 people live without safe drinking water"
2. "By 2050, up to 5.7 billion people could be living in areas where water is scarce for at least one month a year"
3. "Climate-resilient water supply and sanitation could save the lives of more than 360,000 infants every year"
4. "If we limit global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels, we could cut climate-induced water stress by up to 50 per cent"
5. "Extreme weather has caused more than 90 per cent of major disasters over the last decade"
6. "By 2040, global energy demand is projected to increase by over 25 per cent and water demand is expected to increase by more than 50 per cent"
7. "A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030"
8. "In order to accelerate initiatives aimed at addressing the challenges related to water resources, the General Assembly proclaimed the 2018-2028 as the International Decade for Action "Water for Sustainable Development".Around 297,000 children - more than 800 every day - under five die annually from diarrhoeal diseases due to poor hygiene, poor sanitation or unsafe drinking water.
9. "Almost half of the schools in the world do not have handwashing facilities with soap and water available to students"
10. "Around 297,000 children - more than 800 every day - under five die annually from diarrhoeal diseases due to poor hygiene, poor sanitation or unsafe drinking water."

(Source: un.org, unwater.org)