World Water Day - March 22

Advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources, World Water Day is celebrated every year on March 22

 It was instituted in the year 1993 to build public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world.

Today, billions of people are still living without safe water - their households, schools, workplaces, farms and factories struggling to survive and thrive.

Marginalized groups - women, children, refugees, indigenous peoples, disabled people and many others - are often overlooked, and sometimes face discrimination, as they try to access and manage the safe water they need.

This World Water Day is about tackling the water crisis by addressing the reasons why so many people are being left behind.

What is safe water?

'Safe water' is shorthand for a 'safely managed drinking water service': water that is accessible on the premises, available when needed, and free from contamination.

Theme of 2019 World Water Day

 

The theme for World Water Day 2019 is 'Leaving no one behind'. This is an adaptation of the central promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: as sustainable development progresses, everyone must benefit.

By 2040, it is predicted that 33 countries are likely to face extremely high water stress - including 15 in the Middle East, most of Northern Africa, Pakistan, Turkey, Afghanistan and Spain. Many - including India, China, Southern Africa, USA and Australia - will face high water stress.

India - Third largest exporter of groundwater

Global groundwater depletion - where the amount of water taken from aquifers exceeds the amount that is restored naturally - increased by 22 percent between 2000 and 2010, said the report, adding that India's rate of groundwater depletion increased by 23 percent during the same period.
The report also highlighted that India uses the largest amount of groundwater -- 24 percent of the global total, more than that of China and the US combined - and is the third largest exporter of groundwater -- 12 percent of the global total.

Water scarcity can't be fixed without fixing agriculture in India

According to the report, wheat and rice were the two most important and highest water-guzzling crops that India produced.
"Rice is the least water-efficient grain and wheat has been the main driver in increasing irrigation stress. Replacing rice and wheat with other crops like maize, millets, sorghum mapped to suitable geographies could reduce irrigation water demand by one-third," said the report.
Though replacement of rice and wheat crops is challenging, in an ideal scenario, the choice of crop needs to be matched with ecology and the amount of water available in the area it is being produced in.
Noting that one kg of wheat required an average 1,654 litres of water, the report said one kg of rice requires an average 2,800 litres of water.