The World Water Day Campaign 2023 has commenced with a particular emphasis on expediting solutions to the prevalent water and sanitation crises. The UN has organized the "Be the Change" global initiative, which urges individuals to proactively alter their approach to water usage, consumption, and management. These commitments, as stated on the campaign's website, will add to the Water Action Agenda, the primary output of the UN 2023 Water Conference, beginning on World Water Day, March 22, 2023.
The Water Action Agenda consists of voluntary obligations made by governments, corporations, organizations, institutions, coalitions, and individuals, intended to achieve swift progress on internationally accepted water and sanitation targets, mainly Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6): making water and sanitation accessible to all by 2030.
Despite the fact that our planet is primarily covered with water, we are encountering severe difficulties in accessing clean water. Astonishingly, 771 million individuals across the world lack access to clean water near their homes, and millions of people die each year due to unsanitary conditions and contaminated water sources.
To address this water crisis for the betterment of humanity and the environment, the World Water Day and UN Water Conference are held annually in March, aiming to expedite action. Studies indicate that governments must work at least four times more quickly on average to achieve SDG 6 within the specified timeframe. This objective necessitates partnerships among the public, private, and NGO sectors.
Currently, the globe is markedly behind schedule in achieving SDG 6, and the latest data suggest that governments must work at least four times faster to fulfill this goal within the timeframe.
The dysfunctionalities throughout the water cycle pose a significant setback to all major global matters such as health, hunger, gender equality, employment, education, industry, natural calamities, and peace. A rapid and transformative change is vital, and everyone can contribute to this change. Each effort, regardless of its size, will make a substantial difference.
