World Water Day

By / Magazine / March 22nd, 2010 / 1

This year’s theme for World Water Day is Clean Water for a Healthy World.

The idea of World Water Day stemmed from the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro. Do you have easy access to clean running water? Almost 2 billion people worldwide don’t. They’re forced to rely on contaminated water, or must travel great distances to access it. Here in Canada, finding clean drinking water is difficult for some, but we contribute to the problem in another way that, in future, may come back to cause problems for us.

Enough of us (yes, that includes me) buy bottled water at least some of the time. The problem is that the act of buying and selling those bottles commodifies water. As soon as it’s possible to make a profit, a whole list of rules and regulations concerning that commodity suddenly materialise. And just like gas, the price of water will rise and fluctuate until it’s out of bounds for many people. The question, though, is whether or not access to water is a basic human right. If you answered, yes, then allowing profits to be made on water runs contrary to that idea.  “A major challenge to Canada’s water security is the privatization of our water infrastructure, with for-profit treatment companies, new water markets in Alberta, and the bottled water industry assuming greater control of Canada’s water resources and services,” says Dylan Penner of the Council of Canadians.

Below is a short list of events promoting the idea that water is a basic human right are taking place today and throughout the week. Check your local newspapers to find an event near you.


Water for Life 2010: University of CalgaryUniversity of Calgary, 25 March 2010

Contact www.ucalgary.ca/water for more information about this conference.

2010 World Water Week (March 22 – 26) Okanagan Basin Water Board

Okanagan Basin Water Board, Kelowna, BC, 22 March 2010

In partnership with the University of British Columbia – Okanagan campus, the OBWB will be celebrating World Water Day (week) with the following activities:

– Launch of phase II of the Supply & Demand project

– Public Panel Discussion on the US/Canada Okanagan Watershed

– Presentation of the Okanagan Water Leadership Award (2nd annual)

– Presentation by Robert Sandford, Water for Life

Unconventional Water Demands for Dirty Oil

Program on Water Governance & Connecting Envrionmental Professionals 
Vancouver, BC, 22 March 2010

Speaker Event: UBC Robson Square 7-9pm.

Raindance Rubberboots 3rd Annual WATER FOR LIFE Multi Arts & Science Celebration

March 20-22 2010 Edmonton, 

Just Add Water – Soup FestChildren’s Water Education Council

Kitchener, 22 March 2010

Promoting unique water beased programs designed for children that are interactive and educational.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rosemary Mantini has always loved words. When she isn't working as the Associate Editor at Tidings Magazine, she's helping others achieve their writing dreams, and sometimes she even relaxes with a good book and a glass of wine.

Comments are closed.

North America’s Longest Running Food & Wine Magazine

Get Quench-ed!!!

Champion storytellers & proudly independent for over 50 years. Free Weekly newsletter & full digital access