World Water Day
The international observance of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.
The United Nations General Assembly designated 22 March of each year as the World Day for Water by adopting a resolution. This world day for water was to be observed starting in 1993, in conformity with the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.
For World Water Day 2010 Pump Aid will be working with the End Water Poverty Coalition (EWP) in fighting against the global sanitation and water crisis that is killing 4000 children every single day. The World’s Longest Toilet Queue is a mass mobilisation event and Guinness World Record attempt bringing together thousands of campaigners from across the world to demand real change.
The event comes at a vital time as just one month later high level politicians from across the globe are gathering in Washington DC to discuss what needs to be done to improve access to sanitation for people in the developing world. This event is key to drawing attention to the issue and shinning a light on the politicians that need to ensure people’s basic rights are met.
Pump Aid is pushing for high level Government presence at this pivotal event.
What’s the issue?
- 3.5 million people die each year from water-related disease.
- 84% of water-related deaths are in children ages 0 – 14.
- 98% of water-related deaths occur in the developing world.
- 884 million people lack access to safe water supplies, approximately one in eight people.
- The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.
- At any given time, half of the world’s hospital beds are occupied by patients suffering from a water-related disease.
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