Celebrating World Water Day
Did you know that today is World Water Day? What better day for the first Water Conference in 46 years! However, this begs the question: what is World Water Day, and where did it come from? In this article, we will walk you through the history of World Water Day, what makes this year special, and what you can do to participate in creating a water-secure tomorrow.
The history of World Water Day
World Water Day was first proposed at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio Earth Summit. During this summit, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring March 22nd as World Water Day, starting in 1993. The theme of the first World Water Day was "Water for Life," emphasizing the crucial role that water plays in all aspects of human life.
Since then, World Water Day has been observed annually, with a different theme each year. These themes are chosen to highlight different aspects of water-related issues and to bring attention to emerging challenges. Some of the past themes have included "Water and Sustainable Development" (2015), "Water and Jobs" (2016), "Nature for Water" (2018), and "Water and Climate Change" (2020).
The importance of World Water Day has only increased in recent years, as the world faces growing water-related challenges. These challenges include water scarcity, pollution, and climate change, all of which can have significant impacts on human health, food security, and economic development. World Water Day provides a platform to highlight these issues and to promote solutions that can help to ensure access to clean water for all.
World Water Day 2023
This year's World Water Day may be the most important one we have had in history. As the urgency of climate change and recurring water crises is felt across the globe, the world gathers in New York City to . Climate change is increasingly experienced as a existential threat that is not one of today, but increasingly one of today. In the face of these challenges, the story of the hummingbird was chosen to be the symbol of this year's World Water Day. The story goes as follows:
One day in the forest, a fire broke out.
All the animals ran for their lives.
They stood at the edge of the blaze, looking at the flames in terror and sadness.
Up above their heads, a hummingbird was flying back and forth to the fire, over and over again.
The bigger animals asked the hummingbird what she was doing.
“I am flying to the lake to get water to help put out the fire.”
The animals laughed at her and said, “You can’t put out this fire!”
The hummingbird replied, “I’m doing what I can.”’
Want to be a hummingbird and contribute to the solution, however small this contribution may be? Visit our event program, and find out how you can help turn the tide.