World Water Day 2013

World Water Day is held every March 22. Recognized by the United Nations and the global community, World Water Day reminds us that much of the world still faces a global water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) crisis, and that it is our urgent obligation to act.

This year’s theme as designated by the UN General Assembly is: International Year of Water Cooperation.
As a testament to this theme, efforts to coordinate events for World Water Day 2013 are taking place across the globe. This year, we are especially excited about events happening around the United States, including: performances, walks for water, social media, forums, learning events, Advocacy Day, and Water Symposia! For more details on each event, see below.
 
Let’s all help to make every day World Water Day!

March 15: Fountain Valley, CA: WASH Learning Event and Tour

The goal is to raise awareness of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) issues in anticipation of World Water Day. Tetra Tech will help coordinate a student tour of the Ground Water Replenishment System (GWRS) Facility in Fountain Valley, California. Representative Ed Royce has also been invited to speak.
 
The tour will be at 8:30 am, with about 30 local college and high school students. Tetra Tech will provide breakfast, during which John Travis of the international NGO Drop in the Bucket will speak on global WASH challenges and solutions.
 

March 15: Springs Preserve, NV Cirque du Soleil 5K Run and 1 Mile Fun Walk

The week before World Water Day will start off with the Run Away with Cirque du Soleil 5K Run and 1 Mile Fun Walk with all proceeds going to the Springs Preserve, a natural park and cultural center devoted to commemorating the history of Las Vegas and promoting sustainability.

March 16-24: World Walks for Water and Sanitation

From March 16-24, thousands of people across the globe will walk together to demand political change. The walks will take place around World Water Day, 22nd March, and will build on the success of The World’s Longest Toilet Queue in 2010, the World Walks for Water campaign in 2011, and of the World Walks for Water and Sanitation in 2012. Because of these global actions, governments took notice and made promises both nationally and internationally which we now have to make sure they keep.

March 19-20: Boulder, CO: WASH Symposium: New Perspectives in Sanitation

The Symposium will provide a platform for sharing and expanding knowledge in the field of water, sanitation, and hygiene in developing contexts. Through keynote addresses, panel discussions, and research/project presentations, the symposium provides a valuable opportunity to meet and network with local, national and international actors in the WASH sector and to learn about their past experiences as well as new approaches and perspectives. Guest speakers include Eddy Perez of the World Bank, Ned Breslin of Water For People, Carl Hensman of the Gates Foundation, Bill Bellamy of CH2M Hill, Jonathan Annis of FHI360, Blake McKinlay of iDE, Erica Gwynn of Rotary International and others! Free event but registration required.

H2O for Life at Advocacy Day

March 20: Washington, DC: World Water Day Advocacy Day

Safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene and integrated water resource management underlie many U.S. foreign policy priorities. By improving integrated approaches, we can enhance child survival, improve gender equality, protect the environment, and expand education.
 
Supporters from around the United States will gather in Capitol Hill to educate Congress on international water issues and build support for the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2013.
 
Beginning with a training session at 10:00 am and ending with an evening reception, this full-day event will raise our voices and make a difference!

March 20: Washington, DC: Embassy of France: A Thirsty World

Today, as the world’s population increases and the impact of climate change worsens, water has become one of our planet’s most precious natural resources. Filmed in 20 countries, “A Thirsty World” reveals the mysterious and fascinating world of fresh water through spectacular aerial images shot in regions that are difficult to reach and rarely filmed, like Southern Sudan or Northern Congo.
 
“A Thirsty World” will be co-presented by the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capitaland La Maison Française at 7pm at the Embassy of France. Purchase tickets here. 

March 22: Las Vegas, NV: ONE NIGHT for ONE DROP

In celebration of World Water Day on March 22, ONE DROP, the non-profit organization established by Cirque du Soleil Founder Guy Laliberté, will present One Night for ONE DROP. This original production specially created for a one-night-only performance in Las Vegas will feature more than 230 Cirque du Soleil artists and guest performers. To share the experience around the world, the event will be filmed and a 90-minute special will be created. The broadcast will be available for online viewing at ONEDROP.org for seven days only (March 25 to 31) with a donation of $5 or more to ONE DROP. The mission of ONE DROP is to strive to ensure that water is accessible to all, today and forever.

March 22: Washington, DC: USAID World Water Day Twitterfest

USAID E3 Bureau is partnering with the USAID Bureau of Food Security and other experts in a Twitter conversation for World Water Day. #WorldWaterDay @USAID
March 22, Boulder, CO: El Porvenir Happy Hour
Join El Porvenir to celebrate clean water with water trivia, beer, wine, hors d’oeuvres, and friends from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at The Hermsmeyer Home! RSVP: info@elporvenir.org or call (303) 861-1499.

March 22, Portland, OR: Last Call at the Oasis film screening

If you are in the Portland area, celebrate World Water Day by viewing the film Last Call at the Oasis at 7 pm the Clinton Street Theater. Learn more about water management, successful water initiatives, and how we can all work together to create and maintain sustainable water resources. Tickets must be purchased online by March 15.

March 22: Washington, DC; Carnegie Institution for Science: La Source

Join at 7:00 pm for a film that follows the Lajeunesse brothers as they work together to rally the support of a group of Princeton students, a Los Angeles-based charity called Generosity Water and the people of La Source to fulfill their dream of improving the conditions of their impoverished village. The film captures the story of one man, empowered by a vision, who was able to ignite the passion of people thousands of miles away to change lives in La Source forever.In Creole and English. Directed by Patrick Shen. Produced by Patrick Shen, Brandon Vedder and Jordan Wagner.

Discussion with filmmaker  Patrick Shen and Raymond Joseph, Former Haitian Ambassador to the United States and Founder, A Dollar A Tree For Haiti.

March 23: Los Angeles, CA: World Water Day Awareness Raising

Radio Disney is partnering with Tetra Tech and Drop in the Bucket to host a fun World Water Day awareness event at the 2013 El Segundo Run for Education 5K.

April 9: Atlanta, GA and Dallas, TX: Water Symposia

In Dallas, SMU will celebrate its International Humanities Week (April 5-13). This year’s theme is water. WASH Advocates, the Hunter and Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity, Southern Methodist University’s Lyle School of Engineering, and the Bush Institute are hosting a panel on Women and WASH on April 9 from 2:00-3:30 pm CST. It is expected that Former First Daughter Barbara Bush will be a panelist. This panel will be linked live via Webcast to the Atlanta Water Symposium event.
 
In Atlanta on April 9, CARE, Emory, CDC, Habitat for Humanity, Task Force for Global Health and possibly the Carter Center will hold a panel on Future Trends in WASH from 5:00-6:00 pm EST. The panel will be followed by keynote speaker. The panel and keynote speaker will be linked via live Webcast to the SMU event. In addition, a group of local charter school students will participate in the Water Olympics at Emory to add a student component to the event.

April 22: Washington DC: Walk for Water

The U.S. State Department, in collaboration with USAID and EPA, will hold local “Walks for Water” to celebrate Earth Day.

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