World Water Day 2017: Why waste water?

Today we celebrate World Water Day and this year the focus is on wastewater and ways to reduce and reuse as over 80 percent of all the wastewater from our homes, cities, industry and agriculture flows back to nature untreated, polluting the environment and losing valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials.

So let's reduce the quantity and pollution of our wastewater, and safely reuse as much as we can.

Don’t be a waster. Reduce and reuse wastewater.

Halving discharge untreated waste water
For all these reasons, the global community has committed to achieving universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030, as part of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A key target of SDG 6.3 is to improve water quality by reducing pollution, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling globally.

In fact, wastewater is a source for water, energy and nutrients. For example, farmers are increasingly interested in recycling wastewater as both a source of irrigation and recycled nutrients.

Effective wastewater management not only improves lives and the environment, but also makes economic sense, creating new business opportunities and long-lasting, sustainable jobs.

Central celebration
The central celebration of World Water Day 2017 will take place in Durban, at which South African president Jacob Zuma will launch the 17th edition of the United Nations’ World Water Development Report.

This report will focus on the critical role of wastewater management for vibrant economies, resilient societies and the resilient societies and the maintenance of healthy environments.

In addition to launching the report Zuma will, in his capacity as a member of the UN High Level Panel on Water (HLPW), present a declaratory statement on the activities of the panel.

The celebration will be broadcasted live on:
www.facebook.com/UnitedNationsWater

Values of water
On World Water Day 2017, Pope Francis will address the Watershed conference that will be held in the Vatican in Rome.

Policy makers and academics, together with students, artists, business leaders and men and women from the most at-risk populations will begin a five year dialogue around the value and values of water.

The Watershed conference will be broadcasted live on:
www.facebook.com/valuesofwater

The central celebration of World Water Day 2017 in the Netherlands will take place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague.

Read also on this website
● World Water Day 2016: Availability and management of water links to quality jobs, 21 March 2016
● World water day 2014: Why does energy outperform water?, 21 March 2014
● World Water Day 2013: Global water community endeavours cooperation on food, energy and health issues, 23 March 2013

More information
www.worldwaterday.org

Don’t be a waster. Reduce and reuse wastewater.