World Water Day 2019: Leaving no one behind
Institute for Public Health of the Republic of North Macedonia in cooperation with KAT Production-Skopje continues the successful tradition of marking the World Water Day. This year the event is held at Cinematheque of Macedonia on March 22, 2019 (Friday) at 10.30-13.30.
On March 22, each year, the world through various activities marks the World Water Day. Republic of North Macedonia through the organization of the Institute for Public Health of the Republic of North Macedonia, and the faithful patrons this year, Viziana, Kozuvchanka, Magroni and Maya, as well as other organizations and individuals, this year for the 10th time jubilee joins the World Celebration of this a significant day.
Every year the world marks this day and changes the motto, thus emphasizing various segments important for the water. This year, with the motto ” Whoever you are, wherever you are, water is your human right ” indicates that access to drinking water is a fundamental human right.
In 2010, the UN recognized the “right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation” as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights. The human right to water gives everyone the right, without discrimination, to have sufficient, safe, affordable, physically accessible and accessible water for personal and home use.
People are left behind without safe water for many different reasons. The following are some of the “grounds for discrimination” that cause certain people to be especially disadvantaged when it comes to access to water:
Years and gender
Race, ethnicity, religion and nationality
Disability, age and health status
Property, residence, economic and social status
Other factors, such as environmental degradation, climate change, population growth, conflict, forced displacement and migration flows can also affect water.
The event will be marked with stands, banners, flyers and other promotional materials at the Institute for Public Health, KAT Production-Skopje, the producers of packaged water involved in the event, as well as pupils from primary and secondary schools, students from Medical and Civil Engineering Faculty, pensioners (Union of Pensioners), PAKOMAK, ect. The event will be marked with a creative workshop for the recycling of plastic bottles, a music and entertainment program, announcements, a discussion on water as a human right, a projection of films dedicated to the World Water Day, etc.
In the following are several facts related to the World Water Day:
- 2.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water
- 1 out of 4 primary schools use unsafe water sources
- More than 700 children under 5 years of age die from diarrhea related to unsafe water and poor sanitation every day
- Globally, 80% of people living in rural areas use unsafe water
- Women and girls are responsible for collecting water in 8 to 10 households with water outside the premises
- 68.5 million people were forced to leave their homes because they had no access to safe water
- 159 million people are collecting drinking water from surface water, such as ponds and streams
- 4 billion people experience a severe shortage of water for at least one month of the year
- Over 800 women die every day of complications in pregnancy and childbirth
- 700 million people around the world could be displaced by an intense lack of water by 2030.
