World water day (22nd March) is celebrated on the recommendation of the United Nations in 1992 within the Agenda 21 directive, as a result of the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the first worldwide conference of heads of state on the environment.
844 million people in the world do not have access to drinking water and 60% of the world population does not have adequate toilets. (UNICEF-WHO Statistics).
The 22nd of March, while bringing our attention to water as a fundamental element of the life of mankind and of the whole planet, underlines the need to not waste water and to make it available to all. Responsible consumption of hydrologic resources – which are not infinite and are destined to fall by 20-40% before the end of the century – is required at both a personal and a global level.
Beside the direct consumption of water (which we drink or draw from our taps at home) exists an “invisible” consumption (the water used in the production of our food and clothing). This virtual consumption weighs heavily on the Italian hydrologic footprint, giving us a bitter record: Italy is the second country in the world, first in Europe, for the use of sweet water in the production of consumer goods.
The weather, agriculture and human and animal health depend on water.
In 2018, the World Water Day theme is “Nature fo Water”, a focus on nature-based solutions to the water challenges.