Eric Suesz
Every year, the United Nations promotes World Water Day, and this year the theme is Water for Peace. Specifically, the UN is trying to promote the establishment of more transboundary agreements between nations.
Much of the world’s fresh water is located in transboundary aquifers, which means it is a shared resource. But those aquifers may be split by invisible lines that delineate borders between nations. The same is true of rivers, which are often considered natural borders between nations.
This begs the question: whose water is it? The correct answer is, “It’s everyone’s water.” We have to strive to make reality the idea that water is a human right, and getting there involves setting up agreements between nations. Convincing nations to agree that water isn’t a competitive resource won’t always be easy, but it’s clear that technology and data can play a key role.
A call to action for water diplomats
Autodesk’s EVP of AEC Design Amy Bunszel penned a post, and we sent a One Water Blog newsletter out today: World Water Day links for water diplomats to share.
Our hope is that our readers and customers will see today as an opportunity to share stories and get the word out about the challenges the world faces, but also the good work people around the world are doing to help ensure our most precious resource is a shared and sustainable one.
Want more of these kinds of link drops going forward? Subscribe to our newsletter on the home page of the blog or at the bottom of every post. 👇
What else can you do on World Water Day?
The UN has created shareable images and messaging to help everyone get the #WorldWaterDay message out.
Anyone can watch the official live web event in Paris today, where they will unveil this year’s UN World Water Development Report (WWDR), which is entitled ‘Water for Prosperity and Peace’.
Teachers can help spread the message to the next generation. The UN created a Water for Peace activation kit to inspire teamwork, creativity, a sense of responsibility for our environment and bringing about a more peaceful world. Kids can get colorful with provided mandala illustrations, create a pledge wall to get the entire class or school involved in conserving water, or just have fun playing football with friends while having conversations about the importance of sharing and saving water.