Watch the World Water Day Celebration Live 13:00 CET - 22.03.2017 >>

World Water Day, celebrated on 22 March annually since 1993, aims to bring attention to the importance of freshwater and advocate the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The Sustainable Development Goals, launched in 2015, include a dedicated Water Goal making water a key element of the 2030 Development Agenda. This year's World Water Day theme focuses on wastewater as an untapped resource and the campaign, ‘Why waste water?’ is about reducing and reusing wastewater.  

Globally, over 80% of the wastewater generated by society flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused. If adequately treated and safely applied, wastewater is a valuable source of both water and nutrients, contributing to food security and the improvement of livelihoods. With increasing demands for agricultural commodities, farmers are looking into non-conventional water sources. Domestic and municipal wastewater presents an attractive option, especially where conventional water resources are scarce or lacking. It therefore needs to be seen as a resource, rather than a burden to be disposed of. Along with other UN-Water members, FAO is actively promoting the importance of safe use of wastewater, in particular in agriculture. 

FAO is celebrating the 2017 World Water Day at its Headquarters in Rome. The one-hour event will coincide with the Global Symposium on Soil Organic Carbon and is also a part of the Symposium agenda due to the mutual synergies. 

Ms. Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy-Director General will chair and open the event. The H.E. George Konrote, President of the Republic of Fiji will give the Open Remarks. Dr. Friedrich Wacker, Deputy-Director General for International Cooperation and Global Food Policy, Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Germany, will deliver a keynote speech, conveying the messages of the recent summits of Agricultural Ministers. A Discussion Panel will follow consisting of distinguished guests and experts including the Permanent Representative of the State of Kuwait H.E. Ambassador Yousef Juhail and the Deputy-Coordinator of UNESCO World Water Assessment Program. The Panel will be followed by the launch of the World Water Development Report 2017. FAO and IWMI are the co-leaders of Chapter 6 of the report on Wastewater and Agriculture. 

Mr. René Castro-Salazar, Assistant-Director General, will make the closing remarks. Subsequently the attendees will be invited to visit the photo exhibition in the atrium of the Sheik Zayed Centre by the Italian photographer Sara Munari about her work with the Dalit, an NGO based in Bangladesh working on different issues including sustainable agriculture and soil and water conservation. 

Visit the official world Water Day Website >>

More on FAOs' work on Wastewater Treatment and reuse >>

Agenda