Celebrating World Water Day 2024

Water for Peace

Water is one of the most valuable resources on earth. It is crucial to our ecosystems, essential for survival, and has shaped communities since the beginning of time.

It is also deeply divisive.

Inadequate access to safe and reliable water can spark conflict or worsen an existing situation. With the effects of climate change becoming more and more dramatic, the need for informed, collaborative, and sustainable water solutions has never been more important.

World Water Day’s 2024 theme is Water for Peace: acknowledging ways in which water can alleviate conflict and promoting cooperation across sectors and states. The United Nations has identified three main messages for this year’s World Water Day: water can create peace or spark conflict, prosperity and peace rely on water, and water can lead us out of crisis.?

To learn more about how water intersects with conflict and to find ways to get involved this World Water Day, check out this comprehensive list of resources by the United Nations.

Rotary & Freshwater Project International Initiatives for Clean Water in Ukraine

Early this month, Heidi Rickels , Executive Director at Freshwater Project International , hosted a panel at the 2024 Colorado WASH Symposium. Rickels has worked with Business Connect in the past to provide clean water solutions in Malawi; we love supporting and hearing from our hardworking partners and international network.

Rickels’s presentation, WASH Challenges in Emergency Settings Amidst Violent Conflict: A Case Study on Ukraine, discussed how inadequate access to clean water can exacerbate existing conflict and increase tensions. She highlighted some of the obstacles to supplying clean water in the war in Ukraine and stressed the importance of accessible water resources in emergency situations and beyond.

Additionally, Rickels and Freshwater Project International have been part of Rotary International 's Ukraine Resilience Campaign, which seeks to provide power, water, and medical solutions to hospitals in the most heavily-impacted areas of Ukraine. The campaign centers on finding “resilient” solutions – that is, those that are sustainable, durable, and effective, even in the hardest conditions. So far, the campaign has delivered generators, water filters, and other medical supplies to hospitals and other critical facilities across Ukraine.

Water is an important part of constructing peace; ensuring safe water, especially in times of conflict, is an imperative we can all work toward together.

3 Ways to Reduce Your Water Use

The water crisis impacts us all in different ways, but like the world’s oceans –? we are all connected. Even small changes at home can have far-reaching impacts.

In our daily lives, there are several creative ways we can reduce our water footprint and contribute to a more sustainable system.

1. Don’t kick dropped ice cubes under the fridge or put them in the sink! Instead, give them to your plants.?
2. Dedicate one glass to each family member, and drink out of only that glass all day. Less dishes and less confusion.
3. Take baths! A semi-filled tub saves more water than a shower and is way more fun.

This World Water Day, help us to make a ripple effect of positive change at home and abroad. Whether that looks like pledging a donation, reading more about the water crisis, or even showering for 30 seconds less tomorrow, let’s work together to move toward a more sustainable, peaceful, and accessible world of water.