Hyderabad: Water is the elixir of life and without it, life cannot sustain. It is essential for drinking and cleaning, and many privileged people have running water in their homes 24x7. But, there is still a huge population across the globe that does not have access to fresh drinking water. According to a UN report, currently, one in four people, i.e. two billion people worldwide, lack safe and fresh drinking water.
World Water Day is observed on March 22nd every year to highlight the importance of fresh drinking water and raise awareness about the global water crisis. The day aims to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), which ensures water and sanitation for all by 2030.
World Water Day is observed to make people aware of water-related issues such as water pollution, water scarcity, lack of sanitation, and inadequate water, and to inspire people to sustainably manage freshwater resources. In the year 2023, World Water day is being observed around the theme "Accelerating the change to solve the water and sanitation crisis".
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World Water Day is organised by the United Nations Water along with its various members and partners, such as World Health Organisation (WHO). The initiative of observing World Water Day was taken after the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution on December 22nd, 1992. After the resolution, World Water Day was observed on March 22nd, 1993 for the first time and is being observed around the globe since then.
1.4 million people in the world die every year, 74 million people's lives will be shortened due to diseases related to sanitation, hygiene, and poor water, and global water demands would increase by 55 per cent by the year 2050. UN states that billions of people, businesses, healthcare centres, countless schools, farms, and factories do not have access to safe water and toilets.
UN has called out an urgent need to accelerate change, to go beyond business as usual. It will also be kickstarting the UN 2023 Water Conference from March 22-24 in New York, United States, a first-of-its-kind event to unite the world around water and sanitation to be held in some 50 years. WHO claims that through the Water Action Agenda, it is committing to accelerate professionalized water supply and sanitation services through capacity building in regulation for dramatic improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene in healthcare facilities.
