World celebrates Water Day on March 22

CAIRO – 22 March 2021: World Water Day, which has been celebrated on March 22 annually since 1993, sheds light on the importance of fresh water.

The day is intended to raise awareness of the lack of access to safe water for more than 2 billion people. The occasion also aims at taking action to address the global water crisis.

The main focus of the event is to support Sustainable Development Goal 6, which addresses the issue of universal access to water and sanitation by 2030.

The theme of World Water Day 2022 focuses on groundwater under the slogan “Groundwater - the manifestation of what the eyes do not see,” which revolves around the idea that groundwater is not visible, but its impact is.

Groundwater is the source of all the fresh water flowing in the world, as it provides a large proportion of the water in arid regions of the world, and is used by humans for drinking, sanitation, food production, and in various industries.

Moreover, groundwater plays an essential role in ensuring the proper functioning of ecosystems, such as wetlands and rivers, and the overexploitation of water ecosystems can lead to groundwater intrusion, instability and land collapse, which can also affect the sea. 

The idea for this international day dates back to 1992, the year the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was held in Rio de Janeiro.

In the same year, the General Assembly adopted its resolution 47/193, in which it declared March 22 of each year as World Water Day.