WaterCan celebrates World Water Day 2006

World Water Day 2005 was an exciting day as Margaret Trudeau launched our first ever advocacy campaign – Water for Life – through which we are asking Canadians from all walks of life to encourage the federal government to increase foreign aid for safe and affordable drinking water and basic sanitation for the world’s poorest people. 

More than 30 years ago, Canada and other developed countries made a commitment that each would spend 0.7% of its Gross National Product (GNP) on international development.  Since then, these nations have enjoyed tremendous growth and prosperity.  But their development commitment has not been met.

The UN Millennium Project Task Force on Water and Sanitation states that “if the world’s richest nations fulfilled their promise to assist the word’s poorest nations, the water and sanitation target would be within reach”. 

Canadians seem to agree that we are not doing enough to meet our international commitments.  Since WWD 2005 over 4,000 Water for Life postcards have been signed, with more coming in every day!  Now, one year later, it is time for WaterCan to fill our part of the bargain by presenting these postcards to the Canadian government. 

On Wednesday, March 22, 2006, Margaret Trudeau led a group of WaterCan supporters in a “Walk of Hope” from the Rideau Canal to Parliament Hill.  Supporters carried 20L water jugs in symbolism of the journey that too many women and children in developing countries must make each day to fetch water for their families.

The walk ended at a press conference on Parliament Hill, at which Ms. Trudeau presented WaterCan’s Water for Life campaign postcards, signed by Canadians, to Mr. Pierre Poilievre, M.P. (Nepean-Carleton), as representative of the Canadian government.  Read WaterCan’s letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

The Water for Life postcards serve as an annual reminder to the government that Canadians support the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goal target of halving the proportion of the global population that lacks access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. 

There is no question that access to safe and affordable water and sanitation is fundamental to mitigating all challenges facing people in developing countries including poverty, hunger, maternal health, childhood mortality, access to universal primary education and HIV/Aids and other major level diseases.  Also, WaterCan Board Member and Water and Sanitation expert Clarissa Brocklehurst states “a cost-benefit analysis published by the World Health Organization put monetary values on some of the benefits of water and sanitation improvements.  A cost-benefit analysis found that investments in water and sanitation have a high rate of return: the benefit – cost ratio is always greater than one, and in Africa it is 10 or more!”

Is our government aware of these facts?  Perhaps they are, but we plan to make sure by holding an educational session for Members of Parliament and their staff on what we are affectionately calling World Water Day – Part II.  We had planned to hold this session on March 22, but due to the fact that the House will not be sitting until April 4th, we have decided to postpone the event until after this date.

If you have not yet signed a campaign postcard, you can do so electronically.  Help us remind our government that water and sanitation issues matter to Canadians!

About World Water Day

Since 1993, the United Nations General Assembly has designated March 22nd of each year as World Water Day, in recognition of the importance of water as a basic requirement of life and the need to manage this precious resource wisely.  World Water Day - Resolution of United Nations General Assembly

The main purpose of the day is to promote public awareness of the need to conserve and protect freshwater supplies and to encourage people around the world to promote and carry out activities related to the use and care of water resources. Each year, WWD adopts a different theme that emphasizes a particular aspect of water.

To support the aims of World Water Day, WaterCan highlights the special challenges facing communities in developing countries in their efforts to gain improved access to clean drinking water.

WaterCan has produced a bilingual World Water Day poster to help celebrate and promote this special day in Canada. To view the poster click here. To request a free copy of the poster, please send an e-mail to info@watercan.com.

Past World Water Day Celebrations by WaterCan

WaterCan celebrates World Water Day 2005

WaterCan celebrates World Water Day 2004

WaterCan celebrates World Water Day 2003

Past UN World Water Days:

2006:  Water and Culture

2005:  Water for Life

2004: Water and Disasters

2003: Water for the Future

2002: Water for Development

2001: Water and Health

2000: Water for the Twenty-first Century

1999: Everyone Lives Downstream

1998: Groundwater - the Invisible Resource

1997: The World’s Water: Is There Enough?

1996: Water for Thirsty Cities

1995: Women and Water

1994: Caring for our water resources is everyone’s business