Water is an indispensable natural resource most of us take for granted.
Around 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water. We know that without it, life on Earth would be impossible. However, over 97% of all water resources on the planet are oceans and other saline water resources. When we subtract the water trapped in glaciers and where it is inaccessible, we are left with less than 1% accessible freshwater of the world’s total water resources.
Worldwide, water use is predicted to increase 1% per year, in certain regions of the world it is more. We know that without water there is no life. It is a precious resource, yet, unfortunately it is getting scarce and increasingly polluted. Why that is, what we can do about it and what the World Water Day is all about? Find out in this article.
World Water Day is held annually on 22 March and focuses on the importance of freshwater and its sustainable management The first World Water Day was proposed in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and from 1993 on it is celebrated every year.
We celebrate World Water Day in order to advocate the sustainable management of freshwater and to raise awareness about global topics related to water, especially about the 2.2 billion people living without access to clean water.
The main focus on this day is on ensuring safe water for drinking, sanitation and hygiene for all communities by 2030 (United Nations). The UN World Water Development Report is released each year on this day and gives decision-makers tools to implement sustainable use of water resources and information on the specific theme of the year.
Not only is the demand for water growing because of overpopulation and industrialisation, but at the same time, our water resources are getting scarce as a direct result of climate change.
Billions of people on our planet are suffering from a lack of accessibility to fresh water and sanitation. It has often to do with a lack of investments in professionals, infrastructure and institutions or a lack of knowledge of the resource. However, weather related catastrophes, such as droughts or floodings, are increasing due to climate change and the ever-growing population leads to an explosion in the demand of water. Our water resources are not infinite, therefore, water crises are arising in more areas.
The theme of World Water Day 22 March 2022 is groundwater – making the invisible visible.
99% of liquid freshwater in the world is groundwater, supporting drinking water supplies, sanitation systems, farming, industry and ecosystems (worldwaterday.org factsheet). The following are some of the issues of this year:
Growth of population, fast urbanisation and economic development are reasons why there is an increased demand for water, energy and food. Agriculture, in this case, is the largest consumer of the Earth’s freshwater resources. Up to 50% of the water used for irrigation comes from groundwater.
This statistics (Statista) shows how much water withdrawal (freshwater taken from ground) per person is happening per year. As water is becoming rare, the amount of water consumed per capita in countries such as the U.S. can no longer be considered acceptable. A more efficient use of water, thus saving water is essential in order to avoid severe droughts in problematic areas in the future.
Groundwater faces serious risks, which is why on World Water Day 2022, UNESCO is celebrating this essential resource, “because better protecting and managing groundwater is our collective responsibility, and in our collective interest.”
— Audrey Azoulay, Director-General, on the occasion of World Water Day 2022
Water withdrawals per capita worldwide as of 2019, by selected country (in cubic meters per inhabitant)
In Germany, for example, around 75% of our drinking water is from groundwater, which makes it the most valuable drinking resource in Germany. Every person needs approximately 3 Litres of drinking water daily. Depending on their weight. And still daily tap water consumption in Germany is 127 Litres per capita. This shows us how much water we consume apart from drinking water and that we could certainly save more water in our daily life.
In order to protect the environment, to protect our water, oceans and the soil, we at aboutwater rely on our high-quality, sustainable and BPA-free water bottles out of borosilicate glass or Tritan. Neither micro-plastics nor plasticisers, BPA or other pollutants can get neither in our bodies nor into our drinking water.
Furthermore, they are very durable and the longer you use them the more sustainable they are. Stay more hydrated and pollute less with quality reusable water bottles.
By drinking tap water at home, at the office, or anywhere where we can refill our reusable water bottles, the carbon footprint is of 0,35 grams CO2, compared to buying bottled water in single-use bottles, which is of 202,74 grams. We say no to single-use bottles and recommend apart from our sustainable water bottles, also our water purifyers for companies and households.
The core issue with freshwater is, unfortunately, its risk of getting scarce, it is overused, abused and increasingly exposed to pollution. Be it due to climate change, human activities or industrial processes. We can all do our bit to stop climate change and curb water consumption.
The lack of clean drinking water can be scary. Especially in situations of certain crises, like war, droughts, floods and other catastrophes we might think about how to make sure we can always have clean drinking water at hand. At aboutwater we offer high-end filtration systems, our Lifesavers, in the form of bottles or jerrycans, for on the road or in case of emergencies at home.
Sources:
https://en.unesco.org/news/groundwater-invisible-resource
https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/waterday
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/new-report-solution-water-crises-hiding-right-under-our-feet
https://www.statista.com/statistics/263156/water-consumption-in-selected-countries/
https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day
https://tagdeswassers.vku.de/
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