Water is life, water is wealth and water is vital to human survival

Severe drought in Kenya has forced Enow Wanyo and Budha Tura to gather water from a muddy puddle, 30 minutes from their village. People and animals are competing for water that is often contaminated. Concern is providing aquatabs to sterilize the water. Photo: Jennifer Nolan

Water is life, water is wealth. Water is vital to our survival. Water is the most essential building block of life. The United Nations General Assembly designated March 22 as the World Water Day since 1993 in order to highlight the importance of water in human life. It is a campaign to increase awareness among the people about the need, importance and conservation of water. Water resource is very significant element for every walk of life including agriculture, industry, fisheries, livestock and other produces. The theme of World water Day in 2018 is Nature of Water means nature based solution can be implemented to reduce floods, droughts and water pollution, arrange fresh water for all and protect the ecosystem.  World Water Day 2020 is about water and climate change – and how the two are inextricably linked. The campaign shows how our use of water will help reduce floods, droughts, scarcity and pollution, and will help fight climate change itself. It is a very sad news that out 7.6 billion people that live on this planet (our mother earth), 2.2 billion people on earth don’t have access to safe water. World Water Day is celebrated with a view to taking action to tackle the global water crisis. A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030. Let us do something individually and collectively to raise public awareness in order to access fresh water for all, stop water pollution and conserve our valuable water resources every where on earth.

We should not forget that he global climate crisis is inextricably linked to water. Climate change increases variability in the water cycle, inducing extreme weather events, reducing the predictability of water availability, affecting water quality and threatening sustainable development and biodiversity worldwide. Growing demand for water increases the need for energy-intensive water pumping, transportation, and treatment, and has contributed to the degradation of critical water-dependent carbon sinks such as peatlands. And, some climate change mitigation measures, such as the expanded use of biofuels, are further exacerbating water scarcity.

Water safety and water quality are fundamental to human development and well-being. Providing access to safe water is one of the most effective instruments in promoting health and reducing poverty. As the international authority on public health and water quality, World Health Organization leads global efforts to prevent transmission of waterborne diseases. This is achieved by promoting health-based regulations to governments and working with partners to promote effective risk management practices to water suppliers, communities and households. At the international level, UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS) 2019 surveyed 29 external support agencies and found that they are prioritizing a focus on WASH systems strengthening. WASH is a foundation of public health and a catalyst for many areas of development. The ambition of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 6 is high, but every step towards better WASH services for more people is a step towards eradicating extreme poverty and improving health and well-being for all. On this World Water Day on 22^nd March, and any other day, we must remember to wash our hands regularly with water and soap or with an alcohol-based hand gel. Hand hygiene is also very essential now-a-days with a view to containing the spread of Global Pandemic (Corona virus (COVID-19), as well as other infectious diseases. On this World Water Day, let’s show our best hand hygiene moments to fight Global Pandemic Corona virus (COVID-19) in order to save mankind.

Source: UN-Water (GLAAS) and United Nations

Former professor, writer, and advisor to CBNA

Montreal, Canada, 22^nd March 2020