2009 World Water Day

2008 World Water Day

Coping with Water Scarcity

"The theme of this year's observance of World Water Day is 'Water and Culture'. Water is not only essential for life, it is also a wide-ranging cultural presence - an inspriation for artists, a focus of scientific research, and an indispensable element in the religious rituals of many traditions and faiths."

"On this World Water Day, let us resolve to do more to provide safe, clean water to all the world's people. Let us also reaffirm our commitment to better management of the world's water resources, which are 'our lifeline for survival', and for sustainable development in the 21st century."

"The international response to current world water challenges contains much admirable effort, but for the most part it has been inadequate. If we are to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of having, by 2015, the proportion of people who are unable to reach or to afford safe drinking water, we will need to make
270,000 new water connections per day."

"This is not to demean the dedicated effort being made by a number of governments and thousands of civil society groups, but rather to demonstrate the urgent need to go beyond business as usual."

"Scientists, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, private businesses and International organizations are pooling their efforts in the hopes of bringing about a much needed blue revolution and to improve management of this vital resource."

"Whatever else divides the human community, whether we live upstream or downstream, in cities or in rural areas, water issues - the global water cycle itself - should link us in a common effort to protect and share it equitably, sustainably and peacefully"

"World’s water problems can be a catalyst for cooperation"

"Fierce national competition over water resources has prompted fears that water issues contain the seeds of violent conflict."

"Scientists from many nations and disciplines are pooling their efforts, to assess the threat and in the hopes of bringing about a much-needed blue revolution."

"In this new century, water, its sanitation, and its equitable distribution pose great social challenges for our world. We need to safeguard the global supply of healthy water and to ensure that everyone has access to it. Please join me in celebrating World Water Day, and let us renew our commitment to clean, safe, and healthy

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