World Water Day - March 22

All water is generated by ecosystems. And all the water we abstract for human use eventually returns to the environment, along with any contaminants we have added.

The water cycle is our most important ‘ecosystem service’. Higher value must be given to protecting the environment to ensure a good quality water supply and build resilience to shocks such as flood and drought.

Water means different things to different people.

The theme of World Water Day 2021 is about what water means to you.

How is water important to your home and family life, your livelihood, your cultural practices, your wellbeing, your local environment?

In households, schools and workplaces, water can mean health, hygiene, dignity and productivity.

In cultural, religious and spiritual places, water can mean a connection with creation, community and oneself.

In natural spaces, water can mean peace, harmony and preservation.

Today, water is under extreme threat from a growing population, increasing demands of agriculture and industry, and the worsening impacts of climate change.

Tell us your stories, thoughts and feelings about water and tag #Water2Me

By recording – and celebrating – all the different ways water benefits our lives, we can value water properly and safeguard it effectively for everyone.

Collated from the #Water2Me conversations on social media, a representative selection of comments and opinions will be compiled in a document on what water means to people around the world. The document will be available on www.worldwaterday.org from 22 March 2021.

World Water Day is an annual United Nations Observance focusing on the importance of freshwater, coordinated by UN-Water and led by one or more UN-Water Members and Partners with a related mandate. World Water Day celebrates water and raises awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water.