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Five questions about… UN World water day

What is it it? In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22 as World Day for Water (also known as World Water Day).

This day was first formally proposed in Agenda 21 of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Observance began in 1993 and has grown significantly ever since.

The UN invited its member nations to devote this day to implementing UN recommendations and promoting concrete activities within their countries.

Each year, one of the various UN agencies involved in water issues takes the lead in promoting and co-ordinating international activities for World Day for Water.

What is the theme of this year’s event? The official theme is “transboundary water – sharing water, sharing opportunities”.

However, the International Committee of the Red Cross has also called on governments to ensure safe water and decent sanitation for civilians in conflict zones. In many conflicts, disease kills more civilians than bullets.

What has happened in previous years? People get involved in a variety of different ways – anything to raise awareness of the pressing need to conserve water and ensure the right people have access to clean supplies.

What is happening this year? Currently, there are almost 100 official events taking place in almost 30 countries around the world. These range from poetry competitions to awareness-raising walks and rallies.

How do I get involved? Visit www.worldwaterday.org for more information.

Verbatim

‘This is another milestone in the return of mass unemployment to the UK, and it will get worse before it gets better as unemployment always persists even after a recovery starts’

Brendan Barber, TUC general secretary, quoted by the BBC, as official figures showed the number of jobless in the UK rose to two million for the first time since 1997