World Water Day turns 31 – 03/22/2023 – Environment

Do you know why March 22nd is remembered all over the planet as World Water Day? The liquid is considered the most valuable and essential asset for the maintenance of life.

The date was created by the UN (United Nations) in March 1992, during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro.

Because of this, the event became known as ECO-92. From then on, on that same date every year, discussions take place on the various topics related to this fundamental natural asset.

Each year, the UN chooses a different topic to be discussed that corresponds to a current or future challenge. This year, the theme is “Be the Change You Want to See in the World”, which was based on the fable of a hummingbird that tries to do its part to try to put out a fire in its forest.

From today until Friday (24), New York will host the UN Conference on Water. The meeting will decide on joint action to achieve the internationally agreed goals and targets on the subject, including those present in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The main outcome of the Conference will be the launch of the Water Action Agenda, which represents voluntary commitments from all levels, including governments, institutions and local communities.

“The 2023 UN Water Conference in March must result in a bold Water Action Agenda that gives our world’s lifeblood the commitment it deserves,” says António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

From Wednesday (22) the UN will examine the world water crisis, a problem ignored for a long time, despite the millions of people who run the risk of suffering from shortages or, on the contrary, the excess of the so-called “power life” of the planet.

“This is the first time in 46 years that the world has come together to address the issue of water. And it’s now or never, this is the opportunity,” said Henk Ovink, special representative for the issue of the Netherlands, the country that organizes in partnership with Tajikistan the water conference.

The last conference of this size on a topic that is not covered by any global treaty and is not within the competence of any UN specialized agency took place in 1997 in Mar del Plata (Argentina).

The evidence, however, is clear. “We have broken the water cycle”, laments Henk Ovik.

“We are extracting too much water from the soil, we are contaminating the remaining water. And now there is so much water in the atmosphere that it is affecting our economies and our population due to climate change.”

The result is too much water on the one hand and scarcity on the other, with floods and droughts increasing across the planet as a result of global warming caused by human activities.

According to the UN, 2.3 billion people live in countries with water stress. Furthermore, in 2020, nearly two billion people lacked access to safe drinking water, nearly 3.6 billion lacked toilet facilities, and 2.3 billion were unable to wash their hands at home.

THE FABLE OF THE HUMMINGBIRD

There once was a forest, where a fire started. All the animals fled for their lives. They stood at the edge of the fire, looking into the flames in terror and sadness.

Above their heads, a hummingbird flew back and forth towards the fire, over and over again. The larger animals asked him what he was doing:

“I’m flying to the lake to catch it and use it in firefighting.

The animals laughed at him and said:

– You are crazy! You won’t be able to put out the fire!

And the hummingbird replied:

– I’m doing what I can.

Beija-flor is helping to solve the problem, drop by drop. He is being the change he wants to see in the world.