It started as an initiative in the year 1992, during the United Nations conference on environment and development in Rio de Janeiro. Thereafter, the United Nations general assembly adopted the resolution which declared the World Water Day to hold annually on the 22nd of March.
World Water Day emphasizes the importance of fresh water. It is celebrated around the world with the purpose of ensuring that people understand the importance of water in society. The 2019 theme, Leaving No One Behind, is solely about why many people are being left behind in the process of securing safe water.
Well, who are these people? They revolve around the marginalized groups in the society such certain groups of women, children, refugees, and people with special needs who face a certain level of discrimination and are being overlooked while trying to access water. This should not be so. Everyone deserves a right to the water and no one should be turned away or scorned upon in the process of exercising this right. Whether or not they wield less power in the society, their voices should not be turned down when decisions relating to water issues are being made.
In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 agenda which was aimed at a world free of poverty, hunger and disease. In other words, a world where lives can be developed leaving no one behind. This agenda encompasses this access to clean water.
Imagine a world where everyone has a fair chance to access safe water. Take a moment to imagine how much lives this would affect in a positive way. Let’s hold hands and reach the goal of serving water to everyone, leaving no one behind. Happy World Water Day, 2019!
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Featured image source: Dutch Water Sector
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