World Water Day is a global campaign held on 22 March that aims to focus attention on the importance of freshwater. The 2017 theme is ‘Why Waste Water?’ in support of Sustainability Development Goal (SDG) 6.3 that aims to improve water quality and reduce, treat and reuse wastewater.

World Water Day advocates for the sustainable management of freshwater resources and began in 1993 after the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development recommended a day to celebrate freshwater.

There are 663 million people living without a safe water supply close to home and this campaign is about taking action to tackle this water crisis. Multiple events around the world will be held to celebrate.

The vast majority of wastewater globally flows back to nature without being treated or reused, polluting drinking, bathing and irrigation water and losing valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials.

To join the World Water Day campaign download and share campaign material and organise an event highlighting SDG 6.3 aim to halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increase recycling and safe reuse by 2030.

Additional resources to support World Water Day events, including factsheets, videos and tools can be downloaded from the World Health Organisation website.