"World Water Day 2013 highlights a specific aspect of freshwater" :FAO Water , Development and Management Unit

FAO Water , Development and Management Unit


 Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater. In 2013, in reflection of the International Year of Water Cooperation, World Water Day is also dedicated to the theme of cooperation around water and is coordinated by UNESCO in collaboration with UNECE and UNDESA on behalf of UN-Water.

As in most years, the topic is one of great significance to the work of FAO Water and crosses over into many of our topic areas such as Water Quality, Water Resources mangement and perhaps most significantly, last years World Water Day topic of Water and Food Security.

Download the infographic on Water Cooperation: English Español
View the Official World Water Day 2013 Brochure: English Français
Download our Water Cycle Poster for Kids: English Français Español

World Down Syndrome Day 2013

World Down Syndrome Day “Right to Work” Conference
United Nations Headquarters Conference Room 4
 New York - 21 March 2013, PROGRAM BOOK

The aim of the Day is to raise awareness and increase the understanding about Down syndrome, to promote the inherent rights and dignity of persons with Down syndrome to enjoy full and dignified lives and to recognize the worth and valuable contributions of people with Down syndrome (DS). The Day also works to ensure the inclusion of people with Down syndrome in every aspect of their community and society.
 

World Down Syndrome Day Conference 2013

International Day of Forests 2013

Key messages

Deforestation Fell Almost 20 Per Cent in Past Decade, United Nations Secretary-General Says in Message for International Day of Forests 2013

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the International Day of Forests, to be observed on 21 March:

Forests are vital for our well-being.  They cover nearly a third of the globe and provide an invaluable variety of social, economic and environmental benefits.  Three fourths of freshwater comes from forested catchment areas.  Forests stabilize slopes and prevent landslides; they protect coastal communities against tsunami and storm.  More than 3 billion people use wood for fuel; some 2 billion people depend on forests for sustenance and income, and 750 million live within them.

By proclaiming the International Day of Forests, the United Nations has created a new platform to raise awareness about the importance of all types of forest ecosystems to sustainable development.

Forests are often at the frontlines of competing demands.  Urbanization and the consumption needs of growing populations are linked to deforestation for large-scale agriculture and the extraction of valuable timber, oil and minerals.  Often the roads that provide infrastructure for these enterprises ease access for other forest users, who can further exacerbate the rate of forest and biodiversity loss.

Forests are also central to combating climate change.  They store more carbon than is in the atmosphere.  Deforestation and land-use changes account for 17 per cent of human-generated carbon dioxide emissions.  As weather patterns alter due to climate change, many forested areas are increasingly vulnerable.  This underlines the urgency of a global, inclusive, legally binding climate change agreement that will address greenhouse gas emissions and encourage the protection and sustainable management of forests.

Notwithstanding these immense challenges, there are encouraging signs.  The global rate of deforestation has decreased by almost 20 per cent in the past decade.  We need now to intensify efforts to protect forests, including by incorporating them into the post-2015 development agenda and the sustainable development goals.

On this first International Day of Forests, I urge Governments, businesses and all sectors of society to commit to reducing deforestation, preventing forest degradation, reducing poverty and promoting sustainable livelihoods for all forest-dependent peoples.

Ban Ki-Moon

During the International Year of Forests in 2011, the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) provided the following key messages for outreach initiatives.  They continue to hold true in 2013.

Forests and air

• Over 40 percent of the world's oxygen is produced from the rainforests. 
• Forests contribute to the balance of oxygen, carbon dioxide and humidity 
  in the air.

Forests and water

• A tree releases 8-10 times more moisture into the atmosphere than the 
  equivalent area of the ocean.
• Forests protect watersheds which supply fresh water to rivers.
• Loss of forests could affect rainfall patterns globally, especially in food 
  growing regions in Latin America, the American mid-West and Central Asia. 
• Deforestation leads to soil erosion and rivers being silted, which reduces 
  access to clean water.

Forests and biodiversity

• Forests are home to over 80% of terrestrial biodiversity. 
• In the Amazon basin alone, more than 1,300 species of forest plants are 
  used for medicinal or cultural purposes.
• 12% of the world’s forests are designated for the conservation of biological 
  diversity (FRA 2010).
• Deforestation of closed tropical rainforests could account for the loss of as 
  many as 100 species a day.

Forests build resilience to natural disasters 

• Nearly 330 million hectares of forest are designated for soil and water 
  conservation, avalanche control, sand dune stabilization, desertification 
  control or coastal protection. (FRA 2010)
• Mangrove forests act as a barrier against tsunamis, cyclones and 
  hurricanes.
• ‘Green Wall for the Sahara’ The European Union and African Union are 
  implementing a project to build a ‘green wall’ of trees across the Sahara 
  to push back desertification and to secure agriculture and livelihoods in 
  the sahelo-saharan zone.

Forests and land

• Forests cover 31% of global land area
• Forests and tree cover combat land degradation and desertification by stabilizing soils, reducing water and wind erosion and maintaining nutrient cycling in soils.

Forests are a key part of the climate change solution

• The carbon in forests exceeds the amount of carbon currently in the atmosphere.  FRA 2010 estimates that the world’s forests store 289 gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon in their biomass alone.
• 17.4% of global greenhouse gas emission resulted from deforestation and forest degradation.
• Forests offer the quickest, most cost-effective and largest means of curbing global emissions. It would save the world approximately $3.7 trillion between 2010 and 2200 if we halve greenhouse gas emissions (The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, 2006).
   

Healthy forests, healthy people

• Tropical forests provide a vast array of medicinal plants used in healing and healthcare, worth an estimated $108 billion a year.  
• More than a quarter of modern medicines originate from tropical forest plants.
• Forests curb infectious diseases. Undisturbed tropical forests can have a moderating effect on insect- and animal-borne disease:
  
  • 40% of the world’s population lives in malaria infested regions. Heavily deforested areas can see a 300 fold increase in the risk of malaria infection compared to areas of intact forest.
  • 72% of emerging infectious diseases transmitted from animals to humans come from wildlife as opposed to domesticated animals. Deforested areas increase contact between wildlife and humans and affect pathogen transmission.

Forests are our livelihoods/wealth

• 1.6 billion people around the world depend on forests for their livelihoods and daily subsistence needs.
• The global gross value-added in the forestry sector is US$ 468 billion.
• The global trade in primary wood products is US$ 235 billion.
• Tropical forests provide pollination services to agriculture valued at US$12 billion per year. 
• Given that more than 1 billion hectares of degraded areas throughout the world are suitable for forest landscape restoration, community-based forest management could be woven into other existing rural economic activities.

UNESCO - Ms Irina Bokova on the Occasion of World Poetry Day 2013

Poetry is one of the purest expressions of linguistic freedom. It is a component of the identity of peoples and it embodies the creative energy of culture, for it can be continuously renewed.

This power of poetry is transmitted from generation to generation, in the hallowed texts of great authors and in the works of anonymous poets. We are duty bound to transmit this heritage – the legacy of Homer, Li Bai,  Tagore, Senghor and countless others – for it bears living witness to the cultural diversity of humanity. We, in turn, must tend it to bear fruit, as a source of linguistic wealth and dialogue.

In celebrating World Poetry Day, UNESCO wishes also to promote the values that poetry conveys, for poetry is a journey – not in a dream world, but often close to individual emotions, aspirations and hopes. Poetry gives form to the dreams of peoples and expresses their spirituality in the strongest terms --it emboldens all of us also to change the world.

Poets in all countries have bequeathed timeless verses in defence of human rights, gender equality and respect for cultural identities. Paul Eluard wrote “freedom ... I write thy name”

. To this day , poetry brings the winds of freedom and dignity in the struggle against violence and oppression. For all of these reasons, UNESCO supports poets and everyone who publishes, translates, prints or disseminates poetry. It does so by protecting the diversity of cultural expressions and by preserving poetry recitals listed as intangible cultural heritage of humanity , as many ways to embellish the world and construct the defences of peace in the minds of men and women.

Irina Bokova

UNESCO - Ms Irina Bokova on the Occasion of World Poetry Day 2013

United Nations Observances for March

March :

8 March,
International Women's Day.

20 March,
International Day of Happiness.

21 March,
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
-
World Poetry Day [UNESCO],
-
International Day of Nowruz,
-
World Down Syndrome Day,
-
International Day of Forests and the Tree,

22 March,
World Water Day.

23 March,
World Meteorological Day [WMO].

24 March,
World Tuberculosis Day.
-
International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims.

25 March,
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
-
International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members

Complete list of UN Observances

International Day of Happiness 2013

International Day of Happiness 2013, Secretary-General's Message.

The pursuit of happiness lies at the core of human endeavours. People around the world aspire to lead happy and fulfilling lives free from fear and want, and in harmony with nature.

Yet, basic material well-being is still elusive for far too many living in extreme poverty. For many more, recurring socio-economic crises, violence and crime, environmental degradation and increasing threats of climate change are an ever-present threat.

At last year’s Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, United Nations Member States agreed on the need for a balanced approach to sustainable development by integrating its three pillars – economic growth, social development and environmental protection. They recognized that in order to better inform policy decisions, broader measures of progress should complement Gross Domestic Product.

I am encouraged by the efforts of some Governments to design policies based on comprehensive well-being indicators. I encourage others to follow suit. On this first International Day of Happiness, let us reinforce our commitment to inclusive and sustainable human development and renew our pledge to help others. When we contribute to the common good, we ourselves are enriched. Compassion promotes happiness and will help build the future we want.

International Day of Happiness

International Day of Happiness,  March 20th

The 20th Anniversary of World Water Day

World Water Day

 High-Level Interactive Dialogue of the UN General Assembly on Water Cooperation ,

At the occasion of  World Water Day, Friday, 22 March 2013.

Background : At the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012 (Rio+20), Member States recognized that “water is at the core of sustainable development as it is closely linked to a number of key global challenges”. Water is essential for human health and well-being, food and energy production, social and economic stability, and for protecting and maintaining healthy ecosystems.But water is also a finite and vulnerable resource under mounting pressure.

 Around the world, freshwater resources are threatened by climate change, urbanization, population growth, pollution and other drivers of change. Analysis suggest that by 2030 demand for freshwater will outstrip supply by 40 percent. Between 2000 and 2050, the number of people living in river basins under severe water stress is expected to more than double, reaching almost 4 billion people. While too little water can have devastating effects on humanity, too much water can also be fatal. In recent decades, the frequency and intensity of water-related disasters such as floods and droughts have been rising substantially, claiming the lives of millions of people and damaging the economies of many countries.

The UN General Assembly declared 2013 the International Year of Water Cooperation (A/RES/65/154). Enhancing cooperation and building partnerships at the local, national and transboundary levels will be critical to address freshwater-related challenges. A wide range of activities around the world will help raise awareness on the potential and challenges to water cooperation, facilitate dialogue among stakeholders and promote innovative solutions. This year’sWorld Water Day 2013 on 22 March will be also de dicated to the theme of water cooperation.

20th Anniversary of the Commemoration of World Water Day

International World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

An international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day.


This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the commemoration of World Water Day Day and in this regard, the event will provide an opportunity to share experiences and highlight the lessons learnt over the past 20 years.
 
Each year, World Water Day highlights a specific aspect of freshwater. On this page, we present a brief overview of the different themes that have been the focus of World Water Day celebrations.

  

    Draft Programme of High-Level Interactive Dialogue of the UN General Assembly on Water Cooperation 
 
10:00 – 11:00 - Opening Session
• H.E. Mr. Vuk Jeremic, President of UN General Assembly
• H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General (tbc)
• H.E. Mr. Okil Okilov, Prime Minister of Tajikistan
• H.E. Dr. Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water,United Arab Emirates
• H.E. Mr. Federico Ramos de Armas, State Secretary of Environment, Spain

11:00 – 11:20 - Videolink to the official World Water Day in the Hague (GA Hall)

11:30 – 13:00 - Panel 1: Setting the Stage - Issues, Challenges and Opportunities for WaterCooperation
Moderator: Jan Eliasson, UN Deputy Secretary-General
 Panelists:

• HE Mr. M. Salem Ould Merzoug, High Commissioner of the Senegal RiverOrganization (OMVS) and President of the International Network of RiverBasin Organizations (INBO)
• Dr. Zafar Adeel, Director, UNU Institute for Water, Environment and Health(UNU-INWEH)
• Dr. Uschi Eid, Vice-Chair of the UN SG’s Advisory Board on Water andSanitation and Co-Chair of the Bonn 2011 water, energy and food securityconference
• Other panelists have been contacted


Interactive dialogue
 13:00 – 15:00 - Lunch break (Side event: hosted by Spain “Achieving the MDGs through Governance of Water and Sanitation. The Experience of the MDG Fund”; Conference room 7, NLB,13.15-14.30 hrs)
15:00 – 16:40 - Panel 2: Exploring Proposals, Strategies and Cooperative Solutions for the Period after 2015, Moderator: tbc

 Panelists:
• Ms. Kusum Athukorala, Researcher and Advocacy Specialist, Chair of NetWater and the Sri Lanka Water Partnership (tbc)
• Mr. Jeremy Bird, Director General of the International Water Management Institute
 • Prof. Benedito Braga, President of the World Water Council
 Ms. Julia Bucknall, Head of Water, World Bank
• Mr. Jason Morrison, Technical Director of the CEO Water Mandate
• Other panelists have been contacted


Interactive dialogue
 After the dialogue, Closing Session
• H.E. Mr. Vuk Jeremic, President of the General Assembly


World Water Day 2013 - Water Cooperation

In December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2013 as the United Nations International Year of Water Cooperation. In reflection of this declaration, the 2013 World Water Day, which will take place on 22 March 2013, also will be dedicated to water cooperation. Therefore, UN-Water has called upon UNESCO to lead the 2013 United Nations International Year on Water Cooperation, in particular because of the Organization’s unique multidisciplinary approach which blends the natural and social sciences, education, culture and communication. Given the intrinsic nature of water as a transversal and universal element, the United Nations International Year on Water Cooperation naturally would embrace and touch upon all these aspects.

Visit the Water Cooperation 2013 web site
   
World Water Day 2012 - Water and Food Security

World Water Day 2013 was coordinated by the The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and attempted to seek out solutions to the increasingly critical issues posed by water and food security. With population increase and economic growth, water demands for cities and for the industry are growing much faster than those of agriculture. In some regions, increasing competition for water is constraining both current availability of water for irrigation and further expansion of the irrigated area. In agriculture alone, staples, livestock, inland fisheries and aquaculture, and non-food crops - including liquid biofuels – already compete for water resources. The steady increase of inland aquaculture also contributes to the competition for water resources. Increased competition for water often translates into loss of access to water for the poor and other vulnerable groups. For millions of smallholder farmers, fishers and herders, water is one of the most important factors of production: without water, they cannot make a living.

Visit the World Water Day 2012 web site
           

 World Water Day 2011 - Water and Urbanisation

For the first time in human history most of the world's population live in cities: 3.3 billion people ...and the urban landscape continues to grow. 38% of the growth is represented by expanding slums, while the city populations are increasing faster than city infrastructure can adapt.
The objective of World Water Day 2011 was to focus international attention on the impact of rapid urban population growth, industrialization and uncertainties caused by climate change, conflicts and natural disasters on urban water systems.
Water for cities: responding to the urban challenge, aimed to spotlight and encourage governments, organizations, communities, and individuals to actively engage in addressing the challenges of urban water management.

Visit the World Water Day 2011 web site
Download the Final report: World Water Day 2011
   
 
World Water Day 2010 - Water Quality

UN-Water dedicated World Water Day 2010 to the theme of water quality, reflecting its importance alongside quantity of the resource in water management. The World Water Day 2010 campaign is envisaged to raise awareness about sustaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being through addressing the increasing water quality challenges in water management and to raise the profile of water quality by encouraging governments, organizations, communities, and individuals around the world to actively engage in proactively addressing water quality e.g. in pollution prevention, clean up and restoration.

Visit the World Water Day 2010 web site    

       
World Water Day 2009 - Transboundary Waters

In 2009, the theme for World Water Day is "Shared Water - Shared Opportunities". Special focus will be placed on transboundary waters. Nurturing the opportunities for cooperation in transboundary water management can help build mutual respect, understanding and trust among countries and promote peace, security and sustainable economic growth. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) leads the activities of the World Water Day 2009 with the support of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Visit the World Water Day 2009 web site
   

   
World Water Day 2008 - Sanitation

In 2008, World Water Day coincided with the International Year of Sanitation, and challenged us to spur action on a crisis affecting more th1an one out of three people on the planet. Every 20 seconds, a child dies as a result of the abysmal sanitation conditions endured by some 2.6 billion people globally. That adds up to an unconscionable 1.5 million young lives cut short by a cause we know well how to prevent. Ceremonies for the day took place at Geneva, Switzerland. Speakers included Royal Highness Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange and Director-General of WHO Dr Margaret Chan.

Visit the World Water Day 2008 web site
   

World Water Day 2007 - Coping with Water Scarcity

The growing problem of Water Scarcity was the topic for World Water Day 2007. The theme highlighted the increasing significance of water scarcity worldwide and the need for increased integration and cooperation to ensure sustainable, efficient and equitable management of scarce water resources, both at international and local levels. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) hosted ceremonies for the daywhich included and opening address from FAO Secretary-General Jaques Diouf, and video addresses from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Green Cross International President Mikhail Gorbachev.

Visit the World Water Day 2007 web site
   
   
World Water Day 2006 - Water & Culture

The Theme of World Water Day 2006 was Water and Culture under the leadership of UNESCO.

The theme 'Water and Culture' of 2006 drew the attention to the fact that there are as many ways of viewing, using, and celebrating water as there are cultural traditions across the world. Sacred, water is at the heart of many religions and is used in different rites and ceremonies. Fascinating and ephemeral, water has been represented in art for centuries - in music, painting, writing, cinema - and it is an essential factor in many scientific endeavours as well.
   

       
World Water Day 2005 - Water for Life 2005-2015

The Theme of World Water Day 2005 was: Water for Life 2005 - 2015.

The United Nations General Assembly at its 58th session in December 2003 agreed to proclaim the years 2005 to 2015 as the International Decade for Action, "Water for Life", and beginning with World Water Day, March 22, 2005. The Water for Life decade set the world’s goals on “a greater focus on water-related issues, while striving to ensure the participation of women in water-related development efforts, and further cooperation at all levels to achieve water-related goals of the Millennium Declaration, Johannesburg Plan of Implementation of the World Summit for Sustainable Development and Agenda 21.”
   


World Water Day 2004 - Water & Disasters

The UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and the World Meteorological Organization were charged with co-ordinating events for World Water Day 2004.

The message of the Day was: Weather, climate and water resources can have a devastating impact on socio-economic development and on the well-being of humankind. According to the World Meteorological Organization weather and climate-related extreme events, such as tornadoes, thunderstorms, storms, cyclones, floods and drought, account for nearly 75 per cent of all disasters. They lead to an enormous toll of human suffering, loss of life and economic damage. Monitoring these events, predicting their movements and issuing timely warnings are essential to mitigate the disastrous impact of such events on population and economy.
   

World Water Day 2003 - Water for the Future

Water for the Future was the theme for World Water Day 2003. It called on each one of us to maintain and improve the quality and quantity of fresh water available to future generations. This is essential if we are to achieve the Millennium Development Goal to halve, by 2015, the number of people living without safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was the the lead UN agency for World Water Day 2003. The goal was to inspire political and community action and encourage greater global understanding of the need for more responsible water use and conservation.
   
          
World Water Day 2002 - Water for Development

Water for Development was the theme for 2002. The Internation Atomic Energy Agency was the coordinating UN agency. The currectly poor and deteriorating state of water resources in many parts of the world demand integrated water resources planning and management.

Visit the World Water Day 2002 web site

World Water Day 2001 - Water & Health

Water for Health - Taking Charge was the theme for 2001. The WHO was the coordinating UN agency.

The message for the day was: "Concrete efforts are necessary to provide clean drinking water and improve health as well as to increase awareness world-wide of the problems and of the solutions. 22 March is a unique occasion to remind everybody that solutions are possible. Use the resources on this site to help turn words into political commitment and action.”
   

World Water Day 2000 - Water for the 21st Century

"The availability and quality of water is increasingly under strain. Even if conditions were to remain constant for the foreseeable future, much of the world would find itself in a state of water-related crisis. To make matters worse, populations are growing most rapidly in those areas where water is already in scarce supply”.

This is how Wim Kok, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, starts his welcome words in the second announcement for the Second World Water Forum and Ministerial Conference that began in the Netherlands in the week prior to 22 March 2000.

From 17–22 March 2000, hundreds of water specialists, politicians, leading experts and top officials from all across the globe convened in The Hague. The event marked the conclusion to a long series of sessions during which thousands of concerned citizens addressed the water crisis that threatens us all.
   

     
World Water Day 1999 - Everyone Lives Downstream

Excessive flooding of major rivers in the world in 1998 have resulted in thousands of deaths and caused enormous damage in China, Bangladesh, and India, where nearly half of the world population lives. They were not only the result of excessive rains, but also of interference by mankind in the river basins. These tragedies make us realize that virtually everybody in this world lives downstream. UNEP was the coordinating UN agency.
   

   

World Water Day 1998 - Groundwater - The Invisible Resource

The sixth annual World Water Day (WWD) was celebrated on 22 March 1998. As per the recommendations of the 17th meeting of the ACC Sub-Committee on Water Resources, UNICEF and the United Nations Division of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), took the lead in organizing the observance of World Water Day in 1998.
   

World Water Day 1997 - The World's Water, Is There Enough?

The message of the day was: Water is a basic requirement for all life, yet water resources are facing more and more demands from, and competition among, users.
   

   
World Water Day 1996 - Water for Thirsty Cities

The 3rd annual World Water Day was celebrated on March 22, 1996, with the theme, Water for Thirsty Cities. It emphasized the growing water crisis faced by cities across the world which threatens the sustainability of their social and economic development.
   
   

World Water Day 1995 - Women & Water
For the first time Lesotho celebrated the "World Day for Water", on March 22, 1995. The international theme for the day was 'Women and Water'. The Department of Water Affairs organized two main activities for the celebration of the Day: on water pollution and on environmental degradation.
   

World Water Day 1994 - Caring for Our Water Resources is Everyone's Business

The Theme of World Water Day 1994 was 'Caring for Our Water Resources is Everyone's Business'