World Water Day

An estimated 36% of Zambians live without access to an improved water source. (And by "improved," I mean a water source as basic as a well.)

Today is World Water Day 2005, and the theme of the day is: International Decade for Action, 'Water for Life'. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2002:

• 1.1 billion people lacked access to improved water sources
• 2.6 billion people lacked access to basic sanitation
• approximately 1.8 million people die every year from diarrhoeal disease, 90% of them children under the age of five.

The theme of World Water Day 2005 and the Decade emphasizes the central role water plays in sustaining human life. Water is critical for human well-being, environmental health, biodiversity, energy generation, industrial development, food production, and it plays an essential role in many cultures and religions.