March 22

World Water Day logo.

Today in Science

World Water Day

Did you know that 1.5 billion people—nearly half the world's population—work in water-related sectors, such as collection, sanitation, agriculture, fishing, and industry? Water is a renewable, but finite resource, but its importance is nearly immeasurable.

World Water Day is celebrated every year at the behest of the United Nations as a means of focusing international attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

The 2016 theme is "Water and Jobs." While half the world's people rely directly on water to do their jobs, nearly every job is dependent on water in some way, including for basic sanitation and hygiene. This highlights how crucial quantity and quality of water is to people's jobs and lives. This year's theme aims to create recognition for those working with water—including those whose contributions are traditionally unrecognized and unpaid, such as girls and women who must spend a large percentage of their time collecting water to bring home—and to create sustainable water management to balance supply and demand.

Science NetLinks offers you a variety of resources to begin a conversation about our most valuable natural resource:

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