Today is World Water Day – the perfect time to consider that 1.8 billion people around the world are forced drink water that is contaminated with faeces.
So, what is world water day?
Celebrated every 22 March, World Water Day was set up to raise awareness about the importance of universal access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in developing countries.
Each year UN-Water selects a theme, with this year’s being ‘Why waste water?’ Previous ones include both ‘Water and Jobs’ and ‘Water and Sustainable Development’.
The day was proposed in Agenda 21 of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro.
Why waste water?
This year’s theme is about reducing wastewater from homes, businesses, industries, and institutions.
- Use a shower bucket to recycle water at home to save water for when the water is heating up.
- Install a rain barrel to collect rainwater in the garden
- Create a rain garden that takes advantage of a building’s pipes and gutters
- Collect the overflow from drainage holes at the bottom of plant pots for when the seasons get a little drier
- Install a gray water system in your home to reuse old water for things such as toilets
For more information on Water Aid UK, click here.
