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A14 LOCAL
Friday 20 March 2020
March 22 is World Water Day

mote education and raise
awareness.”
“Freshwater is the most
important resource for
mankind, cross-cutting all
social, economic and en-
vironmental activities. It is a
condition for all life on our
planet, an enabling or lim-
iting factor for any social
and technological devel-
opment, a possible source
of welfare or misery, coop-
eration or conflict.” www.
en.unesco.org.
The World Water Council
(WWC) considers the for-
mulation of the Sustain-
able Development Goals
(SDGs) to be an endeavor
of the highest importance
for the achievement of
water security throughout
the world, which is crucial
for a prosperous and equi-
table future for humankind.
Help inspire action to
By Melissa Martin ment of life is a declaration for the good of human- and claims the lives of mil- achieve the 2030 Agen-
OHIO, USA — Water is by the United Nations Gen- ity be able to achieve the lions each year,” declared da by joining thousands
wealth. Without water life eral Assembly adopted in goal of fresh water for all on Miroslav Lajčák, President of other people on World
would not endure. Access 2013. planet earth? of the General Assembly of Water Day (22nd March)
to water and sanitation is a World Water Day, held on In order to accelerate ini- the United Nations. Lajčák and World Toilet Day (19th
precondition to life and a 22 March every year since tiatives aimed at address- continued, “While coop- November) to raise aware-
declared human right. 1993, focuses on the impor- ing the challenges related eration at the international ness of the water and sani-
tance of freshwater. World to water resources, the level remains important, tation crises and exert pub-
“For many of us, clean wa- Water Day celebrates wa- UN General Assembly pro- governments bear the pri- lic pressure for change.
ter is so plentiful and read- ter and raises awareness of claimed 2018-2028 as the mary responsibility to meet “We have the ability to
ily available that we rarely, the 2.2 billion people living International Decade for water and sanitation needs provide clean water for
if ever, pause to consider without access to safe wa- Action “Water for Sustain- of their populations. Water every man, woman and
what life would be like with- ter. It is about taking action able Development.” and sanitation need to be child on the Earth. What
out it.”—Marcus Samuels- to tackle the global water “At a most basic level, hu- mainstreamed into nation- has been lacking is the col-
son crisis. A core focus of World man beings cannot sur- al development planning lective will to accomplish
The right to safe and clean Water Day is to support the vive without water. Equally and budgeting processes, this. What are we waiting
drinking water and sanita- achievement of water and important is sanitation, a and must include sustain- for? This is the commitment
tion as a human right that sanitation for all by 2030. lack of which negatively able use and efficiency, we need to make to the
is essential for the full enjoy- Will those who are working affects our quality of life address wastewater, pro- world, now.”—Jean-Michel
Cousteau q

Melissa Martin, Ph.D., is
an author, columnist,
educator, and therapist.
She lives in U.S.