#Worldwaterday
Since 1993 the 22nd of March is officially designated as World Water Day. This year's World Water Day theme focuses on the central role that water plays in creating and supporting good quality jobs. Today, half of the world's workers - 1.5 billion people - work in water-related sectors. Moreover, nearly all jobs, regardless of the sector, depend directly on water. Yet, despite the indelible link between jobs and water, millions of people whose livelihoods depend on water are often not recognized or protected by basic labour rights.
Water is one of the most important if not the most important resource on our planet but we don’t seem to be aware of the importance of water. The immense waste of water increases continuously. Why don’t we realise the meaning of water? Not only jobs depend on this resource, it is way more, it is our whole daily life. Our planet might be known as the “blue planet”, the planet of water but only 0.3% of all fresh water on the planet is readily available as in lakes, swamps, rivers and streams. Only 2.5% of all the water on Earth is fresh water and more than 97% is saltwater. Of this 2.5% of fresh water, more than two-thirds (68.7%) is frozen as snow and ice, and more than one-third is stored below ground as ground water.
But instead of being as careful as possible with this resource, humans especially from developed countries keep on wasting water. The most water gets wasted in the agriculture, where we waste around 70% of the available fresh water on the planet. Especially the method of flood irrigation, which is used a lot in the agriculture, wastes tons of water and can pollute waterways with fertilizers. Furthermore, lawns are one of the thirstiest water users in cities and towns. Most green expanses aren’t made of local grasses adapted to grow in the area, therefore they often need a lot of water to grow. Another big industry, which wastes a lot of water is the meat industry. Meat is a really water-hungry product: Meat production requires a much higher amount of water than vegetables. To produce 1kg of meat requires between 5,000 and 20,000 litres of water whereas to produce 1kg of wheat requires between 500 and 4,000 litres of water. One of the biggest sources of usable water is treated wastewater. After people brush their teeth, wash their vegetables or flush the toilet, most of the water is treated and sanitized. Currently, the United States treats 70% of its waste wastewater but it only uses 4% of this amount. Increasing the wastewater usage would provide move water for everyone.
Also the Sustainable Development Goals, which were launched in 2015 include a target to ensure everyone has access to safe water by 2030. World Water Day is marked on 22 March every year. It’s a day to celebrate water. It’s a day to make a difference for the members of the global population who suffer from water related issues. It’s a day to prepare for how we manage water in the future. In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly designated 22 March as the first World Water Day. 23 years later, World Water Day is celebrated around the world every year, shining the spotlight on a different issue. Join the movement.
Juliane Genn
