Windhoek The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF) and its stakeholders is observing World Water Day today under the theme “Nature for Water”.
The United Nations General Assembly has designated March 22 of each year as World Water Day.
World Water Day is celebrated to highlight the invaluable role water plays in social and economic development as well as in the general environment.
Damaged ecosystems, together with climate change, are the main driving forces behind many of the water-related crises experienced around the world today.
Devastating floods and drought are all made worse by degraded vegetation and soil as well as reduced floodplain areas.
World Water Day commemoration provides a platform for continuous awareness-raising on issues related to water in order to change mindsets towards water as a scarce resource, safe disposal of waste water and to create a culture of water saving especially in times like these of climate change and water scarcity.
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 21 the International Day of Forests in 2012.
On each International Day of Forests, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organise activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns.
The theme for 2018 is ‘Forests and Sustainable Cities – Let’s make our city a greener, happier place to live.’ Due to the fact that the day collides with Independence Day, MAWF shifted the celebration of the International Day of Forests to today.
To celebrate this year’s International Day of Forests, eminent speakers gather worldwide to present innovative ideas on urban farming and the importance of integration of trees in cities.

With every passing day, drinking water scarcity is more acute in, the thickly populated residential colonies in Nua Bazaar, Bada Padia, Nehru Bungalow and Ghanagholia.
The situation is worse in the 26 slum settlements .
Major areas in the port town and its peripheral slum areas are reeling under severe drinking water crisis.
The Paradip Port Trust has 2,600 employees and the population in the port town area is over 85,000.
PPT is catering the drinking water to the whole populace, but also to the international ships.
There are three water reservoirs in Paradip port which are equipped to store three million gallons of water.
But the required drinking water demand in the township and slum pockets have now gone up to five million gallons a day.The water treatment plant of 6-MGD suffers due to lack of maintenance.
Digging of siltation and repairing work is going at Jobra of Cuttack so supply of water of Mahanadi has been severely stopped through Taladanda canal causing acute shortage of water in the said canal.
Executive Engineer, Mahanadi South Division, Cuttack Mr Baleswernath Sahoo said ‘as per the requirement of PPT, irrigation department has been supplied 250 cusec water through Taladadanda canal.
In view of the repair work the supply has been curtailed to once a day instead of twice.

Bathinda If completed, these could save a large part of the city from water scarcity in summer Nikhila Pant Dhawan Bathinda, March 25 The water storage tanks, scheduled to be constructed in Model Town, have been lying incomplete even two years after the contractor left the project midway for non-clearance of dues.
The foundation stone of the project was laid twice.
She did it again in February 2014.
While one of the tanks was to be constructed after turning the four already existing water tanks into one big tank, the other four were to be constructed separately.
The project included a water treatment plant, an overhead tank and the water storage tanks.
“The contract of construction of storage tanks was given to another contractor.
Even after being given Rs 48 lakh for the work that it had already done, the contractor didn’t complete the project,” he said.
He added that since the project was still a bone of contention between the contractor and the MCB, no new contractor could be given the work.
If completed, the water storage tanks could be answer to the water scarcity in Model Town, Civil Lines, Civil Hospital, Dhobiana Basti, Government Rajindra College, Jujhar Singh Nagar and adjoining areas as the water stored in these tanks could be supplied to the households after purification.
“The department would be able to supply adequate water to the city even during canal closure if the water tanks are completed,” he said.

(MENAFN – Emirates News Agency (WAM)) DUBAI, 25th March, 2018 (WAM) — Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, DEWA, and the UAE Water Aid Foundation, Suqia, under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, MBRGI, organised an awareness programme to raise the awareness of school students in Dubai on the global issues of water crisis, water scarcity, sustainability and rationalisation of natural resources.
Since its launch in October 2017, the programme, organized in association with Surge Middle East, included interactive and educational activities with the participation of over 1,400 students in Dubai schools and around 60 volunteer trainers from DEWA.
The programme includes a virtual trip around the world to identify the problem of water scarcity and the challenges facing millions of people around the world to obtain clean water.
It focuses on the concepts of equal distribution of water in different countries, water footprint, sustainability and rationalisation of resources.
"In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, DEWA is committed to involve and inform the young people, as future leaders, about global environmental and sustainability issues, especially water shortage," said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Suqia.
We strive to highlight the issue of water scarcity and how we can contribute to solving it around the world and work for a better future for the entire human race, he added.
The programme also supports the Demand Side Management Strategy we adopted with the ultimate objective of cutting 30 per cent of our power and water consumption by 2030, he added.
Mohammed Abdulkareem Al Shamsi, Acting Executive Director of Suqia, said, "This programme aims to reach more than 3,600 primary and elementary students in 24 schools in Dubai, until the end of the current academic year.
We are committed to achieving the objectives, set by the MBRGI, to combat poverty and disease by contributing to finding permanent and sustainable solutions to water scarcity issue by using solar energy."
WAM/Elsadig Idriss/Hassan Bashir

A total of 168 villages in 56 village-tract of Ayeyarwady region may face a shortage of water during this summer, according to Rural Development Department.
Soe Than, director of the Region Rural Development Department said: “The department has estimated the possible water shortage problems after conducting preliminary surveys on water sources in more than 11,900 villages which face water shortage every year.” The department has decided to spend around Ks 20.6 million on fuel oil to be used in water distribution, he added.
The department estimated that 140 villages may face water scarcity in last year’s summer.
Only 46 villages faced water shortages as the region got the rain in April.
The department carried out the renovation of water wells and lakes and the construction of water tanks in the villages which usually face water shortage problems, by using the remaining funds.
Daw Pu, a villager from Seintaung village in Pathein Township said: “We did not face any water shortage before as there were many plants and forests.
In recent years, the region faced water shortage.
The problem was not serious as we got rain early.” Up to 46 villages in Yekyi Township are likely to face a shortage of drinking water.
In addition, Pathein, Yekyi, Kyankhin, Myaungmya, Pyapone, Bogale, Dedaye, Labutta, Pyinsalu and Mawlamyinegyun Townships may face the similar problem.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government has given nod to the local self-governments to utilise money from plan fund for distributing potable water to areas where there is acute shortage.Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday reviewed the water scarcity in the state at a meeting with the District Collectors.
According to the order, the grama panchayats in the state can spend Rs 5.5 lakh while municipalities and corporations can spend Rs 11 lakh and Rs 16.5 lakh, respectively, before March 31.The government has also given approval for using Rs 11 lakh for panchayats and Rs 16.5 lakh for municipalities from April 1 to May 31.
The government order also said potable water should be distributed only through the tankers fitted with GPS.
The LSGs can distribute water through the kiosks installed by the Revenue Department.
The district-level chiefs of LSGs should ensure that the Revenue Departments can track down the proceedings through GPS.
The report on the proceedings should be submitted to the respective District Collectors once in two weeks regularly.
The funds can be utilised only after inspecting the GPS log and the log books of the vehicles.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The government has given nod to the local self-governments to utilise money from plan fund for distributing potable water to areas where there is acute shortage.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday reviewed the water scarcity in the state at a meeting with the District Collectors.
According to the order, the grama panchayats in the state can spend `5.5 lakh while municipalities and corporations can spend `11 lakh and `16.5 lakh, respectively, before March 31.
The government has also given approval for using `11 lakh for panchayats and `16.5 lakh for municipalities from April 1 to May 31.
The government order also said potable water should be distributed only through the tankers fitted with GPS.
The LSGs can distribute water through the kiosks installed by the Revenue Department.
The district-level chiefs of LSGs should ensure that the Revenue Departments can track down the proceedings through GPS.
The report on the proceedings should be submitted to the respective District Collectors once in two weeks regularly.
The funds can be utilised only after inspecting the GPS log and the log books of the vehicles.

Here is why the UNESCO’s prediction might turn into reality and is a wake-up call for us: 1.
As per the UNESCO report ahead of World Water Day on March 22, water crisis will intensify across India by 2050.
It also states that the manner in which water scarcity is gaping wide in central India, many parts will battle 40% withdrawal of the renewable surface water resources.
According to UNESCO, the quality of water in river basins across south and central India will decline so much by 2050 that it will bring high levels of risks to Indians.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), after going through the data provided by state pollution control boards based on samples collected between 2015-16, has marked 275 rivers across 29 Indian states as polluted.
The CPCB has marked 49 rivers cross Maharashtra, including Mithi, Godavari, Bhima, Krishna, Ulhas, Tapi, Kundalika, Panchganga, Mula-Mutha, Pelhar, Penganga and Vaitarna, as polluted.
Water has significantly reduced in Godavari, the Cauvery and the Krishna in South India, says the CPCB.
TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) highlights severe depletion of groundwater in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi so much so that it is carrying the risk of salinity.
The National Institute of Hydrology found that India’s utilisable per capita water availability was just 938 cubic metres in 2010, which makes the autonomous body predict that it will drop to 814 cubic metres by 2025.
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In Nigeria alone, UNICEF reports that over 70 million people do not have access to safe drinking water.
The water crisis is a business risk extraordinaire, water scarcity and pollution impacts the capacity of individuals and whole communities to create and subscribe to value.
In response to this crisis business must join hands with other sectors to ensure water is managed sustainably and as a shared and public resource.
This picturesque city of 4 million people is to become the first major modern city to completely run dry.
How can we better manage water?
What is business doing?
Some industries have developed internal targets to reduce water use in production e.g. Nigerian Breweries by 25% and Guinness by 50%.
Corporate social responsibility Awareness campaigns and water provision is communities are other ways business can address the water crisis.
Some of these businesses also have internal policies targeted at reducing water consumption in their production processes so as to reduce pressure on water due to urbanization and industrialization.The next sequent step of engagement is increasing collaboration between businesses, communities, civil society actors and government to ensure that water solutions are sufficiently joined-up and sustainable.
There is also room for funding for innovation and technology in water management,to address the gap in service delivery and improve access to safe water.

Guterres said this in a speech at the launch of the International Decade for Action on water at the UN General Assembly.
Demand for freshwater is projected to grow by more than 40 percent by the middle of the century, and climate change, which is picking up the pace, is adding to the pressure, he said.
The launch of the action plan coincides with World Water Day, which falls on March 22.
More than two billion people lack access to safe water, and more than 4.5 billion people lack adequate sanitation services, he said.
Many of the most serious diseases in the developing world are directly related to unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation, and insufficient hygiene practices.
The UN stands ready to help countries to promote policy dialogue, exchange best practices, raise awareness and forge partnerships, he said.
“The growing water crisis should be much higher on the world’s radar.
“Let us work collectively toward a more sustainable world, and an action-packed decade of water for sustainable development,” he said.
The action plan on water seeks to transform the approach to water supply, sanitation, water management and disaster risk reduction in order to better tackle water stress.
Others are combating climate change and enhance resilience; to align existing water and sanitation programmes and projects with the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.