March 22 – World Water Day
The World Water Day is annually celebrated on March 22 as a means of drawing attention to the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
Every year, World Water Day highlights a particular aspect related to water.
The creation of an international day dedicated to water was recommended during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro. The United Nations General Assembly responded to this recommendation by designating March 22, 1993, as the first World Water Day.
The United Nations General Assembly adopted on December 22, 1992, the resolution A/RES/47/193 by which March 22 of each year was declared World Water Day, to be celebrated from 1993, in accordance with the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development contained in Chapter 18 (Freshwater Resources) of Agenda 21.
Various states were then invited to dedicate this day, within the national context, to the celebration of specific activities such as promoting public awareness through the production and dissemination of documentaries and the organization of conferences, roundtables, seminars, and exhibitions related to the conservation and development of water resources, as well as the implementation of the recommendations of the Agenda 21 Program.
March 22 is an opportunity to learn more about water-related issues, it serves as inspiration to share the problems related to water and take actions to change the situation. The Day dates back to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 where a proposal was made to declare a date dedicated to this issue. The General Assembly decided to designate March 22, 1993, as the first World Water Day. Each year, UN-Water, the entity that coordinates the Organization’s work on water and sanitation, sets a theme for the Day corresponding to a current or future challenge.
