St. Vincent and the Grenadines joins with countries around the world today in observing World Water Day 2018.
World Water day is observed annually on March 22, with the main objective of focusing the attention of persons on the importance of water and the need to preserve it.
This year’s theme – Nature for Water – explores how we can use nature to overcome the water challenges of the 21st century.
Garth Saunders, General Manager of the Central Water and Sewerage Authority (CWSA) says that “when we neglect nature and our ecosystems we make it harder to provide everyone with the water needed to survive and thrive.”
He noted that currently 2.1 billion people live without safe drinking water at their homes, with resulting negative impacts on their health, education and livelihoods.
Mr. Saunders pointed to the situation in Cape Town, South Africa which is on the verge of running out of water, with dam levels now at 26 percent.
“Environmental damage, together with climate change, are both driving the water-related crises we see around the world. Floods, drought and water pollution are all made worse by degraded vegetation, soil, rivers and lakes.”
“The real challenge for our vulnerable nations lies with trying to reduce the incidents and effect of floods, drought and water pollution by utilizing the solutions we already find in nature,” Mr. Saunders said.
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Mr. Saunders said, we have had a rich history of green solutions in water supply resulting in one of the smallest carbon footprints per capita in the world.
The CWSA has designated 2018 as a year of water storage and conservation in an effort to highlight the importance of increased municipal and household storage of water.
