The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in North West province will collaborate with the Municipalities, the communities and various stakeholders with regard to its advocacy programmes in March, as part of the National Water Month which is conceptualised along the annual commemoration of World Water Day spearheaded by the United Nations (UN) to be observed on 22 March 2024.
The UN uses World Water Day seeks to focus attention on the global water crisis and raise awareness of the 2.2 billion people living without access to safe water and aspire nations for longer- term action, to ensure that everyone in the world has access to safe water by 2030. The day is also used to bring attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
Under this year’s theme: ‘Leveraging Water for Peace’, the World Water Day encourages communities and countries to use water as a tool for peace, when cooperating on shared water resources. The theme also highlights that water can spark and intensify conflict when access is denied and usage unfairly shared.
The National Water Month also takes place during Human Rights Month in the country, which highlights the importance of water as a basic human right. National Water Month also seeks to find solutions, innovations to water security, conservation, climate change, floods as well as drought. It therefore encourages dialogue within the water sector while encouraging different water users to work together to create peace and lasting solutions towards an improved water management.
DWS North West will embark on different activities ranging from education and awareness roadshows, water infrastructure tours, international day of action for rivers including the World Water day celebrations. These activities will encourage behavioural change from our communities about their water usage. They will also educate them about the importance of water preservation and how water can be used efficiently to ensure its sustainability.
This is important because South Africa is a dry and water-scarce country with an average annual rainfall of 470 mm compared to global annual average of 814 mm. Thus, it has limited water availability which is diminishing as compared to other countries. Meanwhile South Africa consumes approximately 237 litres per day than the world average of approximately 173 litres per day.
WATER IS LIFE – SANITATION IS DIGNITY
During this year’s National Water Month commemorations, DWS North West calls on its inhabitants to make a difference by changing the way they use, consume, and manage water in their respective lives.
For more information, contact
Wisane Mavasa, Spokesperson for the Department of Water and Sanitation
Cell: 060 561 8935
