Every year on March 22, we celebrate World Water Day! This annual observance was started in 1993 by the United Nations.

In addition to celebrating water, World Water Day raises awareness of the 2 billion people across the world currently living without access to safe water. The United Nations has a goal of water and sanitation for all people by 2030. World Water Day helps inspire individuals and organizations to take action that will lead to the achievement of this goal.

Each year there is a specific theme to World Water Day and this year’s theme is groundwater. More specifically, “Groundwater – making the invisible visible”. Below is the central message of World Water Day 2022:

“Groundwater is invisible, but its impact is visible everywhere.

Out of sight, under our feet, groundwater is a hidden treasure that enriches our lives. In the driest parts of the world, it may be the only water people have.

Almost all of the liquid freshwater in the world is groundwater, supporting drinking water supplies, sanitation systems, farming, industry and ecosystems.

In many places, human activities over-use and pollute groundwater. In other places, we simply do not know how much water is down there.

Groundwater will play a critical role in adapting to climate change. We need to work together to sustainably manage this precious resource.

Groundwater may be out of sight, but it must not be out of mind.”

Learn more about groundwater at www.worldwaterday.org/learn and with the #WorldWaterDay hashtag on social media. World Water Day fact sheets are available at the link in 9 languages!

For more information on the United Nations’ World Water Day, visit www.worldwaterday.org. Click here to learn about previous themes.