by Kevon Browne
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): 2.1 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services.
4.5 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services.
Water scarcity already affects four out of every 10 people.
90% of all-natural disasters are water-related.
80% of wastewater flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused.
Facts and figures shared by the World Health Organisation, and UNICEF.
March 22, we commemorate the 28th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution by which 22 March of each year was declared World Day for Water.
World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water. It is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis. A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.
With continued action and awareness, by 2050, up to 5.7 billion people could be living in areas where water is scarce for at least one month a year and the development of a climate-resilient water supply and sanitation could save the lives of more than 360,000 infants every year.
The 2021 theme for World Water Day is the value of water, its true value, and how we can better protect this vital resource. The United Nations describes the value of water as much more than its monetary value – “water has enormous and complex value for our households, culture, health, education, economics, and the integrity of our natural environment. If we overlook any of these values, we risk mismanaging this finite, irreplaceable resource.”
What does water mean to you?
At home, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure will host World Water Month outreach events throughout March to promote public awareness through the dissemination of documentaries as well as conferences, round tables, seminars, and expositions related to the conservation and development of water resources.
Minister with responsibility for Public Infrastructure Shawn Richards on the occasion of World Water Day shared the week of activities to commemorate the day in his address below.
