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When did the idea of the World Water Day start?
December 22, 1992 -
what is the purpose of this day?
He intention is to inspire people around the world to learn more about water-related issues and to take action to make a difference -
When was the first Water Day proclamed?
The first World Water Day, designated by the United Nations, was in 1993 -
1994
Theme: Caring for our Water Resources is Everybody's Business
The aim of that year's theme was to facilitate the development of policies and crosscutting frameworks that would bridge ministries and sectors. It was meant to lead the way to energy security and sustainable water use in a green economy -
1995
Theme: Women and Water
The 1995 Beijing Platform for Action called for governments to promote knowledge and research on the role of women, particularly rural and indigenous women, in irrigation and watershed management and sanitation. -
1996
Theme: Water for Thirsty Cities
Competition for freshwater between cities and agriculture is projected to grow due to rapid urbanization, particularly in the Global South. Water reallocation from rural to urban regions has become a common strategy to meet freshwater needs in growing cities -
1997
Theme: The World's Water: Is there enough?
It outlines the issues of assessment of the world's freshwater supply and the availability and use of that water's resources. Its purpose is to draw the attention of all concerned to the urgent need to enhance the monitoring and assessment of water resources in rivers and aquifers, particularly in basins shared regionally or internationally. -
1998
Theme: Groundwater– The Invisible Resource
The UN identified gaps in groundwater management which have enormous implications for sustainable development. -
1999
Theme: Everyone Lives Downstream
meant to convey that problems in one part of a watershed, or even in a in a country abroad, can affect people great distances away. ... 80 percent of diseases in the developing world are caused by contaminated water. -
2000
Theme: Water for the 21st century
World Water calls for universal access to safe water for drinking. Vision 21 links the right to water with a broader vision of human development, poverty reduction and empowerment of the poor, in particular women -
2001
Theme: Water for Health
highlights the opportunities for promoting health and development through safe water. People everywhere can use this day to raise awareness of the high level of disease and misery that results from bad and inadequate water sources -
2002
Theme: Water for Developmen
The poor and deteriorating state of water resources in many parts of the world demand integrated water resources planning and management. -
2003
Theme: Water for Future
Maintain and improve the quality and quantity of fresh water available to future generations -
2004
Theme: Water and Disasters
Weather, climate and water resources can have a devastating impact on socio-economic development and on the well-being of humankind. -
2005
Theme : Water for Life Decade 2005–2015
The United Nations General Assembly at its 58th session in December 2003 agreed to proclaim the years 2005 to 2015 the International Decade for Action, beginning with World Water Day, 22 March 2005. The phrase Water for Life Decade was also used. -
2006
Theme: Water and Culture
The theme drew the attention to the fact that there are as many ways of viewing, using, and celebrating water as there are cultural traditions across the world. -
2007
Theme: Coping With Water Scarcity
Highlighted water scarcity worldwide and the need for increased integration and cooperation to ensure sustainable, efficient and equitable management of scarce water resources, both at international and local levels. -
2008
Theme: Coping With Water Scarcity
2008 was also the International Year of Sanitation -
2009
Theme. Trans Waters
Special focus placed on trans-boundary waters -
2010
Theme: Clean Water for a Healthy World
Dedicated to water quality, reflecting its importance alongside quantity of the resource in water management -
2011
Theme: Water for cities
responding to the urban challenge. The aim was to spotlight and encourage governments, organizations, communities, and individuals to actively engage in addressing the challenges of urban water management -
2012
Theme: Water and Food Security
The World is Thirsty Because We are Hungry. On the occasion of 2012 World Water Day, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called attention to the water-related challenges faced by civilians caught up in fighting and intense civil unrest -
2013
Theme: Water and Energy
In December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation. In reflection of this declaration, the 2013 World Water Day was dedicated to water cooperation. -
2014
Theme: Water and Sustainable Development
The aim of that year's theme was to facilitate the development of policies and crosscutting frameworks that would bridge ministries and sectors. It was meant to lead the way to energy security and sustainable water use in a green economy -
2015
Theme: Water and Sustainable Development
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were to have been achieved by 2015, so the year lent itself to discussions of the post-MDG period and aspirations for water and sustainable development. With the launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) -
2016
Theme: Better Water, Better Jobs
The theme also highlights how an abundance of quality water can change people's jobs and lives for the better. The 2016 celebration created recognition for those working to improve water quality and availability, and the need for many to transition to other and better jobs -
2017
Theme: Why Waste Water?
The theme was a play on words as it related to both the aspect of wasting water and issues around wastewater, namely treatment and reuse. Wastewater is a valuable resource to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goal Number 6. One aspect of Target 6.3 is to halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and also to increase the recycling and safe reuse of water across the globe -
2018
Theme: Nature for Water
He theme in 2018 explored how nature can be used to overcome the water challenges of the 21st century. This could be in the form of nature-based solutions to water-related challenges. For example, reducing floods, droughts, water pollution and protecting ecosystems could be solved using natural means, which nature uses, rather than man-made approaches. -
2019
Theme: Leaving No One Behind
The theme of 2019 was about tackling the water crisis by addressing the reasons why so many people are being left behind. Marginalized groups – women, children, refugees, indigenous peoples, disabled people – are often overlooked, and may face discrimination, as they try to access safe water. -
2020
Theme: Water and Climate Change
The theme of World Water Day 2020 was about water and climate change – and how the two are inextricably linked. UN-Water states that "adapting to the water effects of climate change will protect health and save lives". Also, using water more efficiently will reduce greenhouse gas emissions -
2021
Theme: Valuing Water
The theme for 2021 is "Valuing Water". People were invited to join a global conversation to "tell us your stories, thoughts and feelings about water" on social media using the hashtag #Water2me. The campaign looked beyond the issue of pricing, asking the public: "How is water important to your home and family life, your livelihood, your cultural practices, your wellbeing, your local environment?"