World Water Day is celebrated every March 22nd to remember the importance of this element. This commemoration aims to raise awareness about the global water crisis and the need to adopt measures so that everyone has safe and available drinking water.
Data to think about...
- 80% of the world's water collection is done by women and girls. Women and girls on the planet dedicate 200 million hours per day to water search, 18 million girls in the world under the age of 16 do not attend school to fetch water, going three times a day walking 3 kilometers.
- 50% of world's schools do not have efficient toilets and 3,000 million people on Earth do not have access to suitable toilets for washing their hands with soap.
- 1.4 million people die each year and 74 million will have their lives shortened by diseases related to poor water, sanitation and hygiene.
- 1 in 4 people (2 billion people) worldwide lack safe drinking water. And almost half of the world's population (3.6 billion people) lack safe sanitation.
- It is expected that global water demand (in water withdrawals) will increase by 55% by 2050. For this reason, the United Nations particularly insists that we must protect groundwater from overexploitation and contamination.
- 2018-2028 was proclaimed as the International Decade for Action: "Water for Sustainable Development". It seeks to place greater emphasis on sustainable development and management of water resources to achieve social, economic and environmental objectives.
Currently there are numerous technological proposals to expand access to drinking water, we can highlight the following:
- Steam Condensers: water evaporates thanks to solar energy and the steam condenses on a surface to collect clean water.
- Fog Condensers: water is extracted from the driest air consuming only solar energy.
- Fresh sea water: desalination of sea water through large plants that use polymeric membrane filtration systems
- Pocket Drinking Water - Lifestraw's tube is used just like a drinking straw. Its filtration system eliminates protozoa and bacteria.
The world united for water: Every drop counts, don't waste it!
From March 22nd to 24th, the United Nations Water Conference 2023 will take place in New York. This conference must lead to a bold water action agenda that gives this lifeblood of our planet the commitment it deserves.
In addition to the Conference, there are many other ways to take action (#WaterAction) and be part of this historic event. And since water affects us all, we need everyone to act. You and your family, school, company and communities can be part of this movement, changing the way in which water is used, consumed and managed in our lives.
