ISLAMABAD: The World Water Day would be celebrated on Tuesday all over the world including Pakistan to inspire events across the globe which will draw attention to the need for “clean water for a healthy world”.
World Water Day grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. World Water Day in 2005 marked the beginning of the UN International Decade for Action on water.
The Water for Life Decade 2005-2015 puts the spotlight on water-related
programmes and the participation of women. The Decade is also hoping to
increase the efforts for achieving international goals related to water and the United Nations Millennium Declaration.
The objective of World Water Day 2011 is to focus international attention on the impact of rapid urban population growth, industrialization and uncertainties caused by climate change, conflicts and natural disasters on urban water systems.
This day was first formally proposed in Agenda 21 of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Observance began in 1993 and has grown significantly ever since.
The UN and its member nations devote this day to implementing UN recommendations and promoting concrete activities within their countries regarding the world's water resources.
Each year, one of various UN agencies involved in water issues takes the lead in promoting and coordinating international activities for World Water Day. Since its inception in 2003, UN-Water has been responsible for selecting the theme, messages and lead UN agency for the World Day for Water.
In addition to the UN member states, a number of NGOs promoting clean water and sustainable aquatic habitats have used World Day for Water as a time to focus public attention on the critical water issues of our era.
Every three years since 1997, for instance, the World Water Council has drawn thousands to participate in its World Water Forum during the week of World Day for Water. Participating agencies and NGOs have highlighted issues such as a billion people being without access to safe water for drinking and the role of gender in family access to safe water.
In 2003, 2006 and 2009, the UN World Water Development Report was launched on the occasion of the World Water Day. The fourth report is expected to be released around March 22, 2012.
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