#WorldWaterDay
“Based on the fact that you are over 77% of water, and so am I and so is this incredible planet,
what I am really saying when I say that I am for love of water, is that I am for love of you, myself and this amazing planet. What a powerful and simple idea this is, and if we are to integrate it into our everyday lives,
how much care and respect we would have for ourselves, for each other and for this planet.”
Justin Friedman
SANCHILD’s Advisory Board Member and Founder of FLOW-SA
Watch the video of Mr. Justin Friedman speaking about the importance of water during the TEDx event in Cape Town.
March 22nd is known as “World Water Day”
– an international day celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of water in a world where 2 billion people do not have access to safe water. The main focus of this day’s activities is to inspire action towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.
The topic of 2022 is groundwater – an invisible but extremely impactful treasure that makes our lives possible.
Groundwater is freshwater that soaks into the soil and is stored in the pores between the grains of rocks and soil (aquifers), and accounts for approximately 99% of all liquid freshwater on Earth, providing societies with important social, economic and environmental benefits. However, more than half of all groundwater under the globe’s land surface is saline and therefore unsuitable for most types of water use.
“For policy-makers in the water sector and beyond, groundwater may be out of sight.
Now, we need to ensure it is not out of mind. We must fully integrate it into our action plans.”
Message from Mr Gilbert Houngbo, UN-Water’s Chair(2022)
74%
of the world population has access to safely managed drinking water, with the significant differences among the regions.
50%
of the global urban population is believed to be supplied from groundwater sources.
4 billion
people live in areas that suffer from severe physical water scarcity for at least one month per year, and climate change is considerably affecting this resource worldwide.
89%
of water supply sources in Bosnia and Herzegovina come from groundwaters.
5%
of European freshwater sources come from Switzerland, 40% of which is groundwater.
50%
of freshwater sources in Sweden come from its groundwater.
Through our “Sustainable Environment” pillar, we are committed to contributing to UN Sustainable Developmental Goals by implementing “0 pollution” programs to save nature, clean waters and land. With the help of international experts and innovative solutions, we will develop programs that will promote a green economy and a mindful understanding of our responsibility to care for nature.
About Justin Friedman
For over 20 years Justin Friedman has been working in the environmental and wellbeing sectors across the UK, Europe, Asia, the USA, and South Africa. He founded FLOW (For Love Of Water) in SA which has linked Government, Corporate, Media, and Civil society in order to create lasting behavior change and preserve water resources. He also helped to create Water Access and Awareness at the 2010 World Cup and co-hosted UN-Habitat and UN-Water. He recently developed a Water Offset tool that facilitates users being able to offset their water usage to projects that save water, create jobs, and provide water services to communities.
As an Advisory Member, he assists SANCHILD’s mission to contribute to environmental sustainability, by creating educational programs and creative projects which bring people closer to nature, raising awareness about the importance of its preservation, with a special focus on appreciation of water resources.
Do you have ideas on how to save water or clean pollution in your community
or would you like to contribute to our cause?
Read about our first ECO Project: FLOW