World Water Day

About World Water Day
The international observance of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.

The United Nations General Assembly designated 22 March of each year as the World Day for Water by adopting a resolution.This world day for water was to be observed starting in 1993, in conformity with the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development contained in chapter 18 (Fresh Water Resources) of Agenda 21.

States were invited to devote the Day to implement the UN recommendations and set up concrete activities as deemed appropriate in the national context.

[Read More:World Water Day]

Facts about water, drinking water, and water-related disease

Did you know...

1.1 billion people lack access to an improved water supply - approximately one in six people on earth.

2.6 billion people in the world lack access to improved sanitation.

Less than 1% of the world's fresh water (or about 0.007% of all water on earth) is readily accessible for direct human use.

A person can live weeks without food, but only days without water.

A person needs 4 to 5 gallons of water per day to survive.

The average American individual uses 100 to 176 gallons of water at home each day.

The average African family uses about 5 gallons of water each day.

Millions of women and children spend several hours a day collecting water from distant, often polluted sources.

Water systems fail at a rate of 50% or higher.

Every $1 spent on water and sanitation creates on average another $8 in costs averted and productivity gained.

Almost two in three people lacking access to clean water live on less $2 a day.

Poor people living in the slums often pay 5-10 times more for per liter of water than wealthy people living in the same city.

[Read More:Water Facts]

Bottled water is one of the biggest scam, after Y2K

First San Francisco banned it. Then Chicago started taxing it. Now, the city of Seattle is taking action against bottled water; last week, Mayor Greg Nickels signed an executive order to stop the city from buying bottled water. That means no more bottled water at city facilities and events, which may sound like a small step, but it'll make a big difference; last year, the city spent $58,000 on the stuff (and that's not including the true cost and carbon footprint of bottled water). We're willing to bet that the city's taxpayers can probably think of about 58,000 ways to better spend that money.


[Read More:The Huffington Post]

First plastic bags, now bottled water; San Francisco is certainly setting an example. Mayor Gavin Newsom signed an order this week banning the use of City funds to purchase single-serving bottled water

[Read More:TreeHugger]

Hopefully in the near future:

IMF Approves Plan for Sovereign Wealth Fund Code - WSJ.com

WASHINGTON -- The International Monetary Fund's executive board gave the go-ahead Friday for the staff to develop a code of best practices for sovereign wealth funds by the IMF's autumn meeting in October.

[Read More:WSJ.com]

From the IMF web site and text of the background report discussed by the IMF Board

IMF Board Endorses Work Agenda on Sovereign Funds
By IMF Survey online



March 21, 2008

Board discusses IMF work on sovereign wealth funds
Work to be coordinated with SWFs and OECD
IMF staff to work with members and SWFs on development of voluntary best practices
The IMF's Executive Board gave the green light for further analysis on the role of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) in the global economy and endorsed a proposal for the IMF to work with SWFs and other relevant parties to prepare a set of best practices for the state investment institutions.

At a meeting on March 21, the Board discussed a proposed work agenda relating to SWFs, which have gained in importance in the international monetary and financial system. The Board discussion provided an opportunity for Directors to discuss these funds, and ways to facilitate the development of a set of voluntary best practices by SWFs. This work would be coordinated with the work of the Organization for Cooperation and Development (OECD) on practices for recipient countries as appropriate.

SWFs have been around for a long time, at least since the 1950s. But their total size worldwide has grown dramatically over the past 10-15 years, with the IMF now estimating that they will rise from $2-3 trillion today to about $6-10 trillion within five years. At present, China, Kuwait, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates are among the countries that hold the world's largest SWFs. [see related story, "IMF Intensifies Work on Sovereign Wealth Funds."]

Impetus for growth

The main impetus for the growth of SWFs comes from high oil prices, financial globalization, and continued imbalances in the global financial system that have resulted in the rapid accumulation of foreign assets by some countries.

Many have welcomed the recent role of SWFs in providing capital to several large banks affected by the subprime mortgage crisis.

IMF staff will now start work with members and SWFs on the development of best practices, including the establishment of an international Working Group of SWFs to begin technical discussions and drafting work from April onwards.

The set of best practices would cover issues of public governance, transparency, and accountability principles—all of which should help enhance understanding of the operations of SWFs, the IMF says.

Evenhanded approach

"A better understanding of the role and practices of SWFs and the development of a set of best practices could help countries with SWFs benefit from the experience of other countries, strengthen their domestic policy frameworks and institutions, and further their macroeconomic and financial interests," said Jaime Caruana, Director of the IMF's Monetary and Capital Markets Department.

"Best practices and principles could also help ease concerns about SWFs in recipient countries and contribute to an open global monetary and financial system," he told a press briefing after the Board had concluded its session.

"In our view, the key to a successful result is one that is based on an inclusive, collaborative, and evenhanded effort," he added.