World Water Day to be marked March 22nd

Ghana will mark World Water Day on March 22, a statement from the Water Resources Commission signed by Adwoa Munkua Dako, the Public Relations Officer, said in Accra.

The theme for the celebration is “International Year of Water Cooperation” and it is to draw international attention to the benefits of cooperation in water management

The statement said the programme would highlight successful examples of water cooperation and explore key issues including water diplomacy, trans-boundary water management and financial cooperation.

The essence of the Day’s celebration is that cooperation is crucial not only to ensure sustainable and equitable distribution of water but also to foster and maintain peaceful relations within and among stakeholders.

The Day initiated at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and adopted by the UN General Assembly to create global awareness on water related problems.

It said the Day’s celebration "corresponds to the designation by the UN of 2013 as the International Year of Water Cooperation.”

“The designation is in recognition of the importance of water as critical for sustainable development, including environmental integrity and the eradication of poverty and hunger, and as an indispensable resource for human health and well-being”, it stated.

UNESCO is coordinating the Year and the Day in view of its multi-dimensional mandate in the natural and social sciences, culture, education and communication, and its long-standing involvement in programmes contributing to the sustainable management of the world’s freshwater resources.

It said other activities to commemorate the Day’s celebration include a health walk and aerobics, tree planting competition among some schools and media events.