World Water Day facts for kids
Quick facts for kids World Water Day |
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A World Water Day celebration in Kenya in 2011
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| Observed by | People and organizations worldwide, including all UN member states |
| Date | 22 March |
| Next time | 22 March 2026 |
| Frequency | Annual |
| First time | 22 March 1993 |
| Related to | Water, Sustainable development, Sustainability |
World Water Day is a special day held every year on 22 March. The United Nations (UN) created this day to remind everyone how important fresh water is. It's a day to talk about how we can manage our water wisely so there's enough for everyone, now and in the future.
Each year, World Water Day focuses on a different topic about clean water, sanitation (like toilets and waste disposal), and hygiene (like handwashing). These topics help us work towards Sustainable Development Goal 6, which is all about making sure everyone has access to water and sanitation.
The UN World Water Development Report is also released around this day. It shares important information about water around the world.
UN-Water helps organize World Water Day and chooses the yearly theme. For example, the theme for 2021 was "Valuing Water." People were asked to share their thoughts and feelings about water online.
Some past themes include:
- 2016: “Better Water, Better Jobs”
- 2017: “Why Waste Water?”
- 2018: “The Answer is in Nature”
- 2019: “Leaving No One Behind”
- 2020: "Water and Climate Change"
People celebrate World Water Day all over the world with different events. These can be plays, music, or campaigns to raise money for water projects. The first World Water Day was in 1993.
Why We Celebrate World Water Day
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World Water Day is a global event. It encourages people everywhere to learn about water problems and find ways to help. In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a special focus on hand washing and keeping clean.
Some big water problems include:
- Water scarcity: Not having enough water for everyone.
- Water pollution: When water gets dirty and unsafe to use.
- Poor water supply: When people don't have easy access to water.
- Lack of sanitation: Not having proper toilets or ways to get rid of waste.
- Climate change: How changes in weather patterns affect water.
This day helps us see that not everyone has fair access to clean water and sanitation. It reminds us that having clean water is a basic human right.
The World Water Day website shares information about events and ways to volunteer. It often features stories about how people are dealing with water issues caused by climate change and how to use water more wisely.
Who Organizes World Water Day?
UN-Water helps plan all the activities. They work with different UN groups that care about the year's theme. UN-Water encourages many organizations, big and small, to take action for water.
Fun Ways to Celebrate Water Day
Many groups, like UNICEF and WaterAid, work to help people get clean water and good sanitation. On World Water Day, they share information and get people talking about water problems. They might release new reports, show films, or hold meetings to discuss solutions.
A group called End Water Poverty organizes "Water Action Month" every year. They help other groups plan events to celebrate water.
The UN World Water Development Report comes out each year on World Water Day. This report helps leaders make smart choices about how to use and protect our water resources.
Schools and universities also get involved! They teach students about saving water and managing it well. For example, Michigan State University had a "best World Water Day poster" contest in 2017. Kids in elementary schools in the Philippines even had a "My School Toilet" contest in 2010.
How World Water Day Started
The idea for World Water Day first came up in 1992 at a big meeting called the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Later that year, the United Nations General Assembly decided that March 22nd would be World Day for Water every year.
The very first World Water Day was celebrated in 1993. You can even find old websites from past campaigns!
How World Water Day Makes a Difference
Every year, the messages and reports from World Water Day reach millions of people. They use social media, special websites, and other ways to share information. For example, in 2016, the hashtag #WorldWaterDay could have reached 1.6 billion people online!
In 2017, over 700 events were held in 110 countries. More than 500,000 people used the hashtag '#WorldWaterDay' on social media. In 2018, even more people visited the website and saw social media posts, partly because celebrities supported the campaign.
In 2021, the campaign asked people to join a social media conversation (#Water2me) about the value of water. Over 6,000 conversations happened in more than 140 countries.
Images for kids
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World Water Day 2009: US soldiers cleaning a river in South Korea
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See also
- Water issues in developing countries
- List of awareness days
