World Water Day highlights the importance of clean water and sanitation

Today is annual World Water Day, a specific day designated by the United Nations to focus on the importance of clean water for drinking and sanitation.

Each year, during a ceremony at the Hague in the Netherlands, the UN-Water Award is given to reward efforts to fulfill international commitments made on water and water-related issues. Special emphasis is given to the World Water Day theme when giving the awards; this year’s theme is ‘Water Cooperation’.

The award is split into two categories. This year the Category 1 Award for the best water-management practices has been given to Kumomoto in Japan, whose work to maintain their precious groundwater supply for future generations, was recognised. They were congratulated for making the best use of both local human activity and the natural system.

Category 2, for the best awareness-raising or educational measures has been awarded to the Republic of Moldova, for their project ‘Water and Sanitation for all’. The project outlined how the sustainable management of local resources could improve access to water. Currently only 15% of the rural population have a drinking water connection to their house.

Global charity WaterAid took the opportunity of the UN meeting on water at the Hague to launch its ‘Everyone, everywhere’ report. The report calls for all nations to work towards universal access to water and sanitation by 2030 and will be launched by President Sirleaf of Liberia.

WaterAid were well prepared for World Water Day, with a 20 day Facebook countdown of images of 20 ways that water changes lives. They have also released an interactive tour of a Madagascan village on their website, to show what water for ‘everyone, everywhere’ looks like.

With the help of their celebrity ambassador Rachel Stevens, they have also re-branded their ethical Belu drinking water and released the new design in Sainsbury’s today. All profits from sales of Belu drinking water go to WaterAid.

WaterAid have also supported and promoted the work of World Walks for Water 2013, a global event which has seen over 350,000 people worldwide take part in organised walks between the 16th and 24th March to call for political change and encourage governments to keep their promises on the provision of safe water. WaterAid have also been encouraging their supporters to write letters to local MPs underlining the importance of basic clean water for everyone.