World Water Day has been celebrated since 1992. at the suggestion of the International Water Users Association and its President Alfred Rasted. This proposal was enshrined in the decision of the participants of the UN Conference on Environment and Development, held June 3 – 14, 1992 in Rio de Janeiro.
In a number of significant environmental dates, this day is especially important, since the problem of providing drinking water – in sufficient quantity and acceptable quality – is becoming a global environmental problem for all countries.
The theme for March 22, 2022 is “Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible”. This motto is a reminder of the most valuable resource that is literally under our feet.
Groundwater is the most important source of fresh water. Half of the world’s drinking water is pumped from wells and boreholes, and 40% of agriculture and a third of industry rely on them. Aquifers play a central role in maintaining the water balance on Earth. Thanks to them, all ecosystems exist, and groundwater largely influences the formation of the climate. Maintaining the required level of groundwater prevents subsidence of the soil and the penetration of sea water deep into the land.
Despite the obvious importance of this resource, it remains out of sight of most people. While the shallowing of rivers and lakes is visible to the naked eye, human impact on groundwater levels cannot be assessed without special equipment. Excessive water abstraction and pollution are recorded all over the world. The rapid growth of the population and its well-being, the development of industry and agriculture – almost all of our actions increase the load on aquifers.
We must protect them from overexploitation – drawing more water than is replenished by rain and snow – and the pollution that currently threatens them, as it can deplete this resource, increase the cost of recycling it, and sometimes even make it impossible to use it. The exploration, protection and sustainable use of groundwater will be central to surviving and adapting to climate change and meeting the needs of a growing world population.
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Bayrammuhammet ALLABERDIYEV,
II Year Student of the Faculty of
International Law of the Institute of
International Relations of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.
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