Groundwater: invisible treasure of life
Groundwater is invisible, but its presence - or lack of - is felt everywhere. Today on 22 March 2022, the international community celebrates World Water Day with a special focus on听groundwater, source of life and survival.
The UN World Water Development Report 2022 鈥溾 was launched during听the opening ceremony of the 听(9WWF) in Dakar, Senegal on 21 March 2022.
Groundwater 鈥 found underground in aquifers, rocks and soils 鈥 makes up over 95% of all liquid听freshwater on earth, yet听is being over-used in many regions of the world,听abstracted听faster than it can be recharged by rain and snow.听Groundwater pollution is another challenge which听can take decades or even centuries to fix.听听
Making the invisible听visible, requires research and investment. Not enough data听is available on听groundwater, failing to harness this听vital听resource.听Prioritizing, protecting and sustainably using groundwater will be central to听adapting听to climate change whilst听meeting the needs of a growing global population.
"The challenge with groundwater also lies in the lack of awareness and communication around the need to preserve and protect听groundwater systems", said James Dalton, Head 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播 Water and Land Management Team. "A step change is needed to improve groundwater literacy across all water agencies听and to build the capacity of the groundwater community itself to expand knowledge, awareness, and investment in groundwater".
Groundwater crosses borders, just like climate change. Working together to improve the way听transboundary groundwater resources are shared requires careful听balancing of different needs but also听sharing the听benefits equitably. During the 9WWF conference, 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播听is presenting听the work on transboundary water governance through its BRIDGE (Building River Dialogue and Governance) and PREE (Partenariat R茅gional sur l鈥橢au et l鈥橢nvironnement en Afrique Centrale et Occidentale) projects. See 香港六合彩开奖结果现场直播 at WWF9.
Sustainable groundwater management can ensure climate-resilient supplies of water needed to help meet goals for food security, energy development and access to drinking water. It can supply water for sustainable cities and听industrialisation.听Where groundwater management is sustainable, its potential contributions cross multiple dimensions of sustainable development (see toolkit听).
World Water Day is celebrated each year on听22 March. It is an annual United Nations Observance day, started in 1993,听raising听awareness to the 2 billion people currently living without access to safe water. A core focus of World Water Day is to inspire action towards Sustainable Development Goal听6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.
For more information, please visit:
听