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World Water Day is today 22 March
22. March 2024
There is good reason for Icelanders to celebrate this day and our precious water. Picture: Jón S. Ólafsson
World Water Day is today 22 March
Today, 22 March is the World Water Day. There is good reason for everyone who lives in Iceland to celebrate this day and our precious water. Apart from the fish in the sea, there is no natural resource more important to us than the water. It is obviously the foundation for fishing in rivers and lakes, but also for energy-intensive industry in Iceland as electricity production relies on hydro and geothermal energy. Water is the basis for tourism, one of the most important industries in the country, because what would Iceland be without rivers, lakes, waterfalls, geysers and geothermal areas, glaciers. All these wonders of nature, that both the Icelanders and foreign guests flock to marvel, at are water in various forms, depending on the temperature.
Picture: Jón S. Ólafsson
Icelanders are very lucky when it comes to water because only about 0.5% of the water on earth is accessible and drinkable. About half of the world's population deals with water shortages for some part of the year. This most precious resource on earth is diminishing every year, and climate change plays a major role in this decline. At the same time, the world's population is increasing, and societies are changing so that the love for water is constantly increasing.
The theme of World Water Day 2024 is ‘Water for Peace’.
(Text from World Water Day website:) "When we cooperate on water, we create a positive ripple effect – fostering harmony, generating prosperity, and building resilience to shared challenges. We must act upon the realization that water is not only a resource to be used and competed over – it is a human right, intrinsic to every aspect of life.
Photo: Jón S. Ólafsson
Water can create peace or spark conflict. When water is scarce or polluted, or when people have unequal, or no access, tensions can rise between communities and countries. It is our responsibility to pass the Earth to future generations along with its water."
