World Water Day

The United Nations' (UN) World Water Day is held on March 22 each year. Events are organised on or around this day to increase people's awareness of water's importance in environment, agriculture, health and trade. World Water Day aims to increase people's awareness on water's importance in life.

What do you intend to do to conserve water? Every one of us is responsible for the looming water crisis in the world and it is time we stopped wasting water and took measures to save every drop of it.

The UN designated day to focus our attention on the need to conserve world water resources and the impending crisis that could arise from a severe shortage of it in the future is two days away. However, we need not wait for a World Water day to come around to act in a responsible manner to protect and conserve the water resources of our country.

This year the theme for World Water Day is 'Water for cities: responding to the urban challenge' aims to spotlight and encourage governments, organisations, communities and individuals to actively engage in addressing the defy of urban water management.

The objective of World Water Day 2011 is to focus international attention on the impact of rapid urban population growth, industrialisation and uncertainties caused by climate change, conflicts and natural disasters on urban water systems. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on December 22, 1992, declaring March 22 to be the World Day for Water each year. Countries were encouraged to develop activities to highlight local needs for water. The first World Day for Water was observed in 1993.

The Water for Life Decade was launched on World Water Day in 2005. This decade runs from 2005 to 2015 and gives a high profile to women's participation and the UN's water-related programmes.

Agenda 21 is a worldwide action plan for areas where human activities may affect the environment. It was adopted at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992. Agenda 21 recommended various measures, including creating World Water Day.