SUVA/FIJI 22 MARCH 2011 - The international observance of World Water Day on 22 of March originated from the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. More than 50 countries in the world will be taking part in the celebration of World Water Day with the main event to be held in Cape Town, South Africa on March 22.
This year the global theme for World Water Day is Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Water Challenge. The objective of the WWD 2011 is 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.
Today, globally one in two people in the planet live in a city. It is found that 93% of the urbanization occurs in poor or developing countries and nearly 40% of the world’s urban expansion is growing slums or informal settlements. Between 1990-2001 the world’s slums increased at a rate of 18 million people a year, and are projected to increase to 27 million new slums citizens per year between 2005-2020. Nearly 827.6 million people live in slums lacks adequate drinking water and sanitation facilities. This puts a lot of pressure on urban water management leading to poor management of urban water and waste. Solid waste disposal is a growing threat to health and the environment.
In the Pacific region, studies on the key population indicator for Pacific Island countries in 2010 carried out by Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) shows that countries in the Micronesia region proves to have the highest percentage of its population living in urban areas followed by the Polynesian and Melanesian regions2. For Fiji 93% of its urban population have access to improved water sources and 96% have accessed to improved sanitation. Compared to the situation in Kiribati where the access to improved drinking water sources for urban centres is only 77% and for improved sanitation is only 47%3, Fiji has higher coverage figures. Other countries in the region such as Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have a slightly higher percentage of access to improved drinking water sources by their urban populations than Fiji.
For this year’s World Water Day the SOPAC Division is working with UN-HABITAT Pacific in promoting water conservation and water use and also looking at safe water storage and handling in urban Pacific communities. The educational materials developed include posters; stickers, a fact sheet and T-shirt this have been sent to 16 member countries in the region to help with the promoting of World Water Day. The materials developed are around the key messages of water conservation and safe drinking water.
In the Pacific, the theme of Working together for water management in Pacific urban communities will be the driving theme which has been put together by the SOPAC Division and UN-HABITAT. The emphasis is on working together to help better manage our water resources from challenges such as urban population growth, water waste, wastewater from storm run offs poor drainage and water leaks.
Also a highlight in the Pacific will be the National Water Summit in each of the Northern Pacific territories: Palau, Federated States of Micronesia and in the Marshall Islands. The summit is also schedule on March 22.
There will be a national event in some other countries including Samoa and Fiji. In Fiji, the event will be held at the Lower Civic Auditorium and invitations have been sent out to government departments, civil societies and also to schools around the greater Suva area. There will be performances by students related to water as well as displays on water resources.
BE WATER WISE, EVERY DROPS COUNTS
Websites:
More information on World Water Day can be found here: http://www.worldwaterday2010.info/
Information on SOPAC’s water programme can be found here: http://www.pacificwater.org/
Contacts:
Tiy Chung, SOPAC Water Communications Advisor. Work: (+679) 338 1377 (ext 290), or mobile: (+679) 998 7586
Tasleem Hasan, Water Services Coordinator. Work: (+679) 338 1377 (ext 261),or mobile (+679) 996 2041
Sarah Mecartney, UN-HABITAT Programme Manager for the Pacific. Work: (+679) 3319669 (ext 105), or mobile (+679) 9085795
