The world’s population doubled in 40 years from 1959 to 1999. Today, the earth sustains 7 billion people, and another 2 billion are expected to join us by 2050. Coping with population growth and ensuring access to nutritious food for everyone is a major challenge. The UN World Water Day aims to draw attention to the relationships between water and food security. Agriculture is the biggest user of freshwater on the planet: close to 70 percent of all freshwater used by humans goes to irrigation – not only for food crops but also for non-food crops such as rubber, cotton and oil.
International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day.
Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater. The upcoming World Water Day is themed “The World is Thirsty, because We are Hungry!” You want to know why? Then please watch this short and well-detailed video below!
