Subject: World Water Day Celebrations on 20 March 2010 at Nairobi (Kenya) Jointly Hosted by UNEP, UN-Habitat, the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB) and the Government of Kenya.
The World Water Day is being celebrated 20 March 2010 at UNEP’s Headquarters at Nairobi in Kenya. This year’s global celebration is jointly hosted by UNEP, UN-Habitat, the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB) and the Government of Kenya. This event brings together policy-makers, scientists and eminent personalities throughout the globe at a single platform to discuss how to address the challenges of degraded water quality around the world.
World Water Day is an international day held annually on 22 March to bring attention to the importance of water and advocating for its sustainable management. The theme for this year’s World Water Day is — Water Quality, under the slogan “Clean Water for a Healthy World”, which casts focus on the ever-increasing challenges posed by water pollution, and the threat it poses on the already scarce freshwater resources as well as to other ecosystems and biodiversity. This is particularly important as we mark the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) in 2010.
Among the world leaders likely to address this conference include: H.E. Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal, Minister of Water Resources, India; H.E. Joaquim Chissano, Former President of Mozambique; Hon. Charity Ngilu, Minister of Water and Irrigation, Kenya; Mr. Poul Nielson, UNSGAB member and Former EU Commissioner for Development and
Humanitarian Aid and Minister for Development Cooperation of Denmark; Mr. Eng. Maurice Bernard, Head of Water and Sanitation Department, Agence Française de Développement/French Development Agency (AFD); Mr. Mamadou DIA, Chief Executive Officer of Sénégalaise des Eaux and President of the African Water Association; etc.
Dr. Arvind Kumar, President of India Water Foundation, New Delhi, has also been invited to this Conference by the UNEP. Dr Arvind Kumar will urge the UN Agencies and world governments to accord priority to water sector which was ignored by the recently-held Copenhagen Summit. According to Dr. Arvind, water should constitute n integral part of the climate agenda. He hopes that the forthcoming climate summit to be held in Mexico by the end of 2010 will accord due priority to water sector in its overall agenda.
India Water Foundation, a New Delhi-based civil society under the guidance of Dr Arvind Kumar, is engaged in generating public awareness among the people about conservation of water, keeping surface and underground water resources free from pollution, rainwater harvesting and other water-related issues.
