The International Water Association (IWA) is today (22 March) marking UN World Water Day, held annually to raise awareness of the 2.2 billion people without access to safe water.

Although for many years IWA has actively recognised World Water Day, in 2021 the Association became a formal supporter of the awareness day. This year’s theme focuses on the ‘value of water’, at a time when more and more people see an increasingly daunting, dry future of scarcity and stress.

Building on this theme, IWA is developing and providing innovative solutions, intended to ensure water is valued, by ensuring its use is productive, equitable and sustainable.

IWA’s Executive Director Kala Vairavamoorthy commented:

“The theme of this year’s World Water Day – valuing water – is about more than just price. Water has significant and far-reaching health, economic, environmental, and cultural values for our society and people. If we neglect any of these values, it could lead to mismanagement of this vital resource.

“This year’s theme focuses on the critical nature of inclusive water services for wellbeing, bringing an extra dimension to these efforts. Water services reduce health issues and help enable additional time for education, socialising, and work-related activity.

“Furthermore, there is significant value in the safe disposal of ‘used’ water – which improves the quality of our water resources, as well as enhancing the economy and natural environment.”

The IWA is progressing the agenda of this year’s World Water Day’s by bringing together scientists, researchers, technology companies, and water and wastewater utilities from over 130 countries. They are all working towards systemic change, by linking research and practice, businesses and governments, hardware and humanities.

IWA is accelerating its work on valuing water by sharing practical knowledge and research across a range of diverse geographical, climatic and socio-cultural settings.

Areas where IWA is developing innovative solutions include the digital water economy that enables the water sector to transition towards a more ‘one water’ approach, and the integration of nature-based solutions to deliver inclusive water and sanitation services.

For more information on World Water Day, please visit https://www.worldwaterday.org