WORLD WATER WEEK COMING…March 22nd
Every year, on March 22, people around the world observe World Water Day. The theme for World Water Day 2009 is, "Shared Water - Shared Opportunities" with special focus on issues associated with Transboundary Waters.
Many nations must deal with transboundary watersheds. In fact, according to the World Water Day website, there are 263 transboundary rivers and lakes around the world, and these cover almost half of the Earth's surface. There have been 200 water treaty agreements with 37 reports of fighting over water in the past 60 years. But this situation may not improve. Consider the following:
| It is estimated that by the year 2020, the demand for water will increase by 40%. Water will be to this century, what oil was to the past century. |
Water does not recognize any political boundaries. The Tigris & Euphrates, the birthplace of civilization, flow through Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria - all neighbors, but not friends, sharing the same water supply. The Nile is a source of water and life for Tanzania, Kenya, Zaire, Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan and Egypt. Water ripples across the social, economic and environmental fabrics of communities, nations and the world.
Pure Water for the World is developing a project that will provide clean water to those living on either side of the l'Artibonite river which divides Haiti and the Dominican Republic. While these two nations share the island of Hispaniola, their history has been one of mutual hatred.
Atrocities have occurred on both sides of their international border river.
Pure Water began work in Haiti in 2008, and will start in the Dominican Republic later this year. Both Haitians and Dominicans on either side of this river are in need of clean water, and we are working to bring it to them. By providing clean water, we hope that we can bring a little peace to an impoverished part of our hemisphere.
How you can be involved on World Water Day and throughout World Water Week?
- Try conserving the water that you use
- Raise awareness in your school, church, community and workplace.
By informing people of this important day, more can become involved!
- Use a water bottle instead of buying bottled water. This not only saves on water found around the world, but it also eliminates bottles from polluting our earth.
- Locate a restaurant nearest you that is participating in the Tap
Project. On certain nights of the Water Week, these restaurants will ask if you would like to donate a dollar for a glass of tap water which is usually free. These funds will go towards the UNICEF Water Project. For more information, and a list of participating restaurants, please visit the following link: http://www.tapproject.org/
