World Water Day
A UN-designated day raising awareness of the global water crisis and supporting efforts to provide clean water and safe sanitation for everyone.
Date22 March
TopicEnvironment & Sustainability
Established1992
Ways to observe this day
- Cut water waste at home, like fixing leaks and shortening showers
- Join a cleanup event at a local water source or beach
- Learn about the state of water and sanitation in your country
- Teach your children the importance of conserving water in daily life
The 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro recommended, through Agenda 21, dedicating a day to water. The UN General Assembly responded that December by declaring March 22 World Water Day, first observed in 1993 and marked annually ever since.
The day raises awareness that more than two billion people worldwide still lack access to safe drinking water, and that freshwater is a finite resource under growing pressure from population growth, climate change, and poor management. It ties directly to UN Sustainable Development Goal 6, which aims to ensure water and sanitation for all by 2030. UN-Water, governments, and NGOs worldwide mark the occasion with awareness campaigns built around a different theme each year, cleanup events at water sources, an annual report on the state of the world's water, and initiatives to build water infrastructure in the areas of greatest need.
