March 22nd is the World Water Day, which aims to raise public awareness about the responsible use of water and the importance of all inhabitants of this planet having access to water in the right conditions for their use and consumption.
This year, the UN wants to place special emphasis on the large amount of water that is wasted daily and on the importance of its recovery and reuse at all levels of society: households, industry, public organisms, agriculture, etc.
We share some highlights that the UN reflects on its website:
- 663 million people live without a supply of potable water near the house, which forces them to spend hours queuing or moving to distant sources, as well as dealing with health problems due to the consumption of contaminated water.
- Worldwide, more than 80% of the wastewater we generate returns to ecosystems without being treated or recycled.
- 1800 million people use a source of water contaminated by fecal material, putting them at risk of cholera, dysentery, typhus or polio. Non-potable water, poor sanitation, and poor hygiene cause around 842,000 deaths a year.
- The opportunities to exploit wastewater as a resource are enormous. Safe water is a sustainable and affordable source of water and energy, as well as for obtaining nutrients and other recoverable materials.
Here is a link to the page that the UN dedicates to the World Water Day: http://www.un.org/en/events/waterday/
We also want to share with you a video, which we also encourage you to share, to become aware of the responsible use of water.
