Essay on “World Day for Water-March 22” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

World Day for Water-March 22

The international observance of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. The United Nations General Assembly designated 22 March of each year as the World Day for Water by adopting a resolution. This world day for water was being observed from the year 1993. Countries were invited to devote the Day to implement the UN recommendations and set up concrete activities as deemed appropriate in the national context.

World Water Day’s goal is to inspire action and encourage understanding on the need for more responsible water use and conservation. Vigorous action taken by all sectors, including  individuals and communities, will help ensure that there is water for all. India also has joined other countries across the globe to deal with this huge problem.

Water – The Drop of Life

Water is important for human life. Safe drinking water influences the quality of health and productivity. Water is called as ‘Indrajal’ in mythology- the nature’s gift through rainfall. It not only satisfies the thirst of human beings but also gives food and sustains life of human beings, plants and animals.  

Life began in water and cannot exist without it. The very presence of water has made the mother Earth a unique planet in the entire universe. As a most precious natural resource of ours, water covers almost 3/4^th of earth’s surface. Its abundance as well as its scarcity has been greatly instrumental in shaping  the life style and culture of the people. Several old civilizations flourished on the banks of such great rivers as the Ganges, the Indus, the Nile etc.

India is a land of rivers. Apart from the great Ganges and the Brahmaputra, there are several other important river such as the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Cauvery, Narmada, Yamuna, Tapti, our country. These rivers are a great boon to us, but during monsoon some of them cause great havoc too. Enormous flow is available from our rivers, but only a little more than one third of it is utilizable. Despite being endowed with several large water basins, we face the acute problem of shortage of water both for irrigation as well as drinking purposes.

We plan our cities near water sources; we bathe in water, we play in  water; we work with water. Our economies are built on the strength of water transportation – and the products we buy and sell are all partly water, in one way or another. Our daily lives are built on water, and shaped by it. Without the water that surrounds us – the humidity of the air, the roughness of the river’s current, the flow from the kitchen tap – our lives would be impossible. Eighty percent of our bodies are formed of water, and two thirds of the planet’s surface is covered by water: water is our culture, our life.

Why water?

Water makes all life possible and connects all  living things through time. Water is a never- ending cycle being reused. The water in a cave today is the water that the dinosaurs drank, that the ancient Egyptians used, and that you will use for dinner when you are 80. Here are some interesting facts about water.

• The average person uses about 100 gallons of water each day.
• One half of the world’s fresh water is in Canada.
• 60% of the fresh water in the world is used for irrigation.
• 60% or more of the human body is water.
• 70% of the human brain is water.
• 82% of the blood is water.
• And 90% of the lungs is filled with water.
• A leaky dripping 20 times a minute will waste close to 700 gallons of water a year.
• 40% of household water is flushed down the toilet.
• Water is the only substance on Earth that naturally exists in all three states: solid, liquid, and gas.

Themes of World Water Day : Yester Years

Each year has brought up a new theme and dedicated several events.

• 2007 : Coping with water scarcity
• 2006 : Water and Culture
• 2005 : Celebrating water for life
• 2004 : Water and Disasters
• 2003 : Water for the future
• 2002 : Water for Development
• 2001 : Water and Health
• 2000 : Water for the 21^st  Century
• 1999 : Everyone lives Downstream
• 1998 : Groundwater – the Invisible Resource
• 1997 :The World’s Water : Is There Enough?
• 1996 :Water for Thirsty Cities
• 1995 : Women and Water
• 1994 :Caring for our water resources is everyone’s business

World Water Day 2007

The World Water Day 2007 theme is ‘Coping with Water Scarcity’. The theme highlights the significance of cooperation and importance of an integrated approach to water resource management at both international and local levels. Equity and rights, cultural and ethical issues are essential to  be addressed when dealing with limited water resources. Imbalances between availability and demand, the degradation of groundwater and surface water quality , intersect oral competition, interregional, and international disputes, all center on the question of how to cope with scarce water resources.

The use of water has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century, and an increasing number of regions are chronically short of water. By 2025, 1800 million people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two- thirds of the world population could be under stress conditions. As population continues to grow, and increasingly rely on water for its development. The crisis will reach global dimensions and require action at all levels to address the problem. World Water Day 2007 is an opportunity to reflect on the subject, and promote active participation by everybody in addressing this global challenge.

‘Water for Life’ Decade 2005-2015

  The ‘Water for Life’ Decade was launched on 22^nd March 2005 by the United Nations Secretary – General Kofi Annan with the following message:

“Water is essential for life. Yet , many millions of people around the world face water shortage. Many millions of children die every year form water- borne diseases. And drought regularly afflicts some of the world’s poorest countries. The world needs to respond much better. We need to increase water efficiency, especially in agriculture. We need to free women and girls from the daily chores of hauling water, often over great distances. We must involve them in decision – making on water management. We need to make sanitation a priority. This is where progress is lagging most. And we show that water resources need not be a source of conflict. Instead. They can be a catalyst for cooperation. Significant gains have been made. But a major effort is still required. That is why this year marks the beginning of the “Water for Life” Decade. Our goal is to meet the internationally agreed targets for water and sanitation by 2015, and to build the foundation for further progress in the year beyond.

This is an urgent matter of human development, and human dignity. Together, we can provide safe, clean water to the entire world’s people. The world’s water resources are our lifeline for survival, and for sustainable development in the 21^st century. Together, we must manage them better”.     

Background of the Decade

The primary goal of the ‘Water for life’ Decade is to promote efforts to fulfill international commitments made on water and water- related issues by 2015.

These commitments include the Millennium Development Goals to reduce by half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water by 2015 and to stop unsustainable exploitation of water resources. At the World Summit in Johannesburg in 2002, two other goals were adopted: to aim at develop integrated water resource management and water efficiency plans by 2005 and to halve by 2015 , the proportion of people who do not have access to basic sanitation.

A major effort is required in this decade to fulfill these commitments and access to these essential services to those who remain unserved, the majority of whom are poor people. As women play a central role in water provision and management, a special emphasis will be placed on ensuring the participation and involvement of women in these development efforts.

Among the themes that are central for the ‘Water for Life’ Decade are: scarcity, access to sanitation and health, water and gender, capacity- building , financing, valuation, Integrated Water Resources Management, trans – boundary water issues, environment  and biodiversity, disaster prevention, food and agriculture, pollution and energy.

UN- Water is coordinating the ‘Water for Life’ Decade, 2005-2015. UN-Water is the United Nations inter- agency mechanism of all relevant agencies, departments and programmes involved with water – related issues.

It is a unique occasion  not just to highlight the magnitude of the problem, but also to bring all stakeholders together to apply solutions that work. All of our efforts will contribute to making Water for Life, a landmark event.

Water: Global & National Perspective

Access to safe water is now a basic human right, as per the resolution of the 29^th session of the UN Committee on Social, Cultural and Economic Rights, November, 2002. To protect human health and to prevent sickness & mortality, water supply needs to be reliable, sufficient quantity of adequate quality and be readily accessible to all segments of the consumers.

The UN World Water Report 2006 says the well or progress can run on anything from bullocks to nuclear power , but life would always run on water. Water scarcity, surface and ground water contamination, and lack of access to water by the poor are among the main obstacles to full enjoyment of the right to water in the developing countries. The people in the developed countries are mostly having the privilege and opportunity of having adequate quantity of water of acceptable quality, anytime and anywhere in the country. The same is not true of the citizens of most third world countries, particularly the poor.

The competition for the world’s water resources is on the way to becoming the major contentious political issue of out time. Shortage of water, quality of water and management  of water are the three main issues requiring our full attention. Most of the countries suffer from acute drought leading to the obvious conclusion that water is a fundamental obstacle to economic and social development in dry and infertile countries.

India’s Perspective

It is common knowledge that water resources hold the key for socio economic development of any country. This is true for India with a predominant agrarian economy. It is a fact that water is fact becoming scarce day by day.       

India’s water consumption is approximately 20.1% of the world consumption with a per- capita consumption of 297.7 cubic meters; it is more than the world average per – capita consumption of 287.3 cubic meters.

India, considered as a whole , is not a water scarce country and ranks among the top 10 water – rich countries in the world, according to data from World Resources Institute (2000-2001).

Water is one of the world’s most important sources of energy. Inexpensive , non-polluting hydroelectric power is a boon to all, around the world. Sometimes we may be able to generate energy through fusion of hydrogen atoms. It we achieve this, water will become an inexhaustible source of power. Water is a renewable resource but it is also finite.

The Human Development Report 2006, launched on 9 November in Cape Town, South Africa , is subtitled ‘ Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and the Global Water Crisis’. The report highlights that clean water and sanitation are amongst the most powerful drivers for human development. Access to water and sanitation extends opportunities, enhances dignity and helps create a virtuous cycle of improving health and rising wealth. The report highlights poverty, unequal access, wars, migration and water crisis. It puts forward the important message that overwhelmingly affects the poor. A crisis is that too many people do not have access to enough water under the right conditions to live.

The UN Resolution on the water for life decade states, “… water is critical for sustainable development, including environmental integrity and the eradication of poverty and hunger, and is indispensable for human health and well- being …. The goals of the decade should be a greater focus on water related issues at all levels and on the implementation of water- related programmes and projects, while striving to ensure the participation and  involvement of women in water related development efforts”.

India has joined other countries across the globe to deal with this huge problem. Drinking water supply is one of the six components of Bharat Nirman, which has been conceived as a plan to be implemented in four years, form 2005-06 to 2008-09 for building rural infrastructure. Government of India and State governments have been trying to provide safe drinking water to its people. It eh years to come, water is going to become an increasingly scarce resource. The efforts will go a long way in meeting the challenges of the present century.