World Water Day – 22nd March 2010
Campaign to raise the profile of water quality at the political level so that water quality considerations are made alongside those of water quantity.`With World Water Day soon approaching on 22nd March, the simple yet much sought after substance of water is brought to the fore.
As well as having a sufficient supply of water for all people worldwide, water quality is also of paramount importance. Africa as a continent is frequently associated with a shortage of clean water, resulting in much human suffering. Perhaps the water shortage issue is sometimes too closely aligned with the simple idea that there isn’t enough rain in Africa, resulting in a type of inevitability, or acceptance, of the ongoing problem. However this analysis could be compared to the oversimplified idea, that the Great Famine in Ireland was the result of the potato blight. In both situations the root cause of the problem was and is social injustice and social inequality.
With one in five of the world’s people living without safe water[1], ill-health from drinking dirty water is one of the most serious threats to human life. The availability of clean drinking water also affects many more elements of people’s lives in Africa. When water and sanitation are provided to poor communities, they can begin to spend their insufficient incomes on other needs such as food, health care and education. This is in contrast to the present situation where many Africans, usually women, have to spend hours collecting water for their families. The water they collect is often taken from dirty and polluted sources, and the containers often hold up to 20 litres of water.[2]
The UN Water for Life Decade 2005-2015, which kick started the first World Water Day, is hoping to address the issues around water and to promote efforts to fulfill international commitments made on water and water related issues by 2015.
It is hoped that this will put greater pressure on all stake holders involved, to fulfill the Millennium Development Goals on water and sanitation. It is also hoped, that it will inform the greater public of the devastating effects that lack of good quality water can have on human beings. Let’s hope that a concerted effort by all stakeholders and countries will mean more stories like those from Louisa in Mozambique. “Before we got sick quite often from drinking the lake water. We no longer get sick from drinking dirty water. The water from the pump is sweet and healthy.” [3]
For more read : www.worldwaterday.org