World Water Day .

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
47/193. Observance of World Day for Water

The General Assembly,
Recalling the relevant provisions of chapter 18 of Agenda 21, adopted by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
Considering that the extent to which water resource development contributes to economic productivity and social well-being is not widely appreciated, although all social and economic activities rely heavily on the supply and quality of fresh water,
Considering also that, as populations and economic activities grow, many countries are rapidly reaching conditions of water scarcity or facing limits to economic development,
Considering further that the promotion of water conservation and sustainable management requires public awareness at local, national, regional and international levels,
1. Decides to declare 22 March of each year World Day for Water, to be observed starting in 1993, in conformity with the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development contained in chapter 18 of Agenda 21;
2. Invites States to devote the Day, as appropriate in the national context, to concrete activities such as the promotion of public awareness through the publication and diffusion of documentaries and the organization of conferences, round tables, seminars and expositions related to the conservation and development of water resources and the implementation of the recommendations of Agenda;
3. Invites the Secretary-General to make recommendations on ways and means by which the United Nations Secretariat could, within existing resources and without prejudice to ongoing activities, assist countries in organizing their national activities for the observance of World Day for Water;
4. Reguests the Secretary-General to make the necessary arrangements in order to ensure the success of the observance of World Day for Water by the United Nations;
s. Also reguests the Secretary-General to focus observance of World Day for Water by the United Nations on a particular theme relating to the conservation of water resources;
6. Recommends that the Commission on Sustainable Development, in the execution of its mandate, attach priority to the implementation of chapter 18 of Agenda.

93rd plenary meeting
22 December 1992.

WORLD WATER DAY AT THE WORLD WATER FORUM

Léna Salamé, Project Coordinator for the UNESCO programme From Potential Conflict to Co-operation potential (PCCP), coordinated the World Water Day event at the World Water Forum on behalf of the UN-Water Task Force on Transboundary Waters. UN-Water asked her for her impressions of the event.
“From the start, we were worried that we would have a low turn-out. 8:30 Sunday morning on the Forum’s last day wasn’t exactly the friendliest of time slots. But in the end, the event was very well-attended, which really shows the level interest in the issue.”
“We started the event with a screening of One Water, an award-winning documentary by Ali Habashi, who was in the audience. He prepared an edited version of his feature length film for our event.”
“I strongly urge everyone to see One Water. It’s very powerful. Transboundary water management can sometimes seem very distant from our everyday lives. It involves international laws and conventions that can be quite complex and high-level political negotiations that seldom get any media attention. Mr Habashi’s film, which contains some truly unforgettable footage, definitely helped make the issue of transboundary water management real and urgent for everyone in the hall.”
“And the moderators picked up on this sense of urgency. During the panel discussion and question period that followed the film, they did an excellent job of keeping the panelists focused on how the UN, intergovernmental political processes and international legal mechanisms could contribute to real progress on the ground.
“The audience was also clearly focused on how governments could be made more responsive to urgent water management issues. They questioned the panelists on what the United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations could do to ensure that countries recognize and comply with international water agreements. Many wanted to know more about existing international water conventions and about dispute resolutions mechanisms.”
“A lot of people have become frustrated about high-level conferences and summits that produce declarations that are not either concrete enough or not followed up with actions. But we can’t afford to become cynical. The fact is that it’s going to take a lot of little steps to reach big goals. World Water Day events, the World Water Forum and political processes that lead to the ministerial statements and declarations may not satisfy everyone, but by raising public awareness, they slowly help build the political will within governments that is required to translate commitments into action.”

This year on the World Water Day,we call the attention to the waters that cross borders and link us together.

The world’s 263 transboundary lake and river basins include the territory of 145 countries and cover nearly half of the Earth’s land surface. Great reservoirs of freshwater also move silently below our borders in underground aquifers.
With every country seeking to satisfy its water needs from limited water resources, some foresee a future filled with conflict. But history shows that cooperation, not conflict, is the most common response to transboundary water management issues.
Over the last 60 years there have been more than 200 international water agreements and only 37 cases of reported violence between states over water. We need to continue to nurture the opportunities for cooperation that transboundary water management can provide.
We share the responsibility for managing the world’s transboundary waters for current and future generations.

Sources:
http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N93/100/87/IMG/N9310087.pdf?OpenElement
http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/wwf.html
http://lowband.fao.org/lbt?http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday