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World Water Day 2025 Focuses on Glacier Preservation March 13th, 2025
Contributed by: Bishop Michael Pfeifer, OMI (Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of San Angelo)
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In 1993 the UN General Assembly designated March 22nd as World Water Day (WWD). This observance is one of the largest international days. Each year the UN selects a theme for World Water Day, and the theme chosen for World Water Day 2025 is Glacier Preservation.
In this article I share much information from UN.org and UN Water. A glacier is a river of ice often covered in snow, slowly moving down a valley from a mountainous area, with its melting waters flowing downstream. The UN points out that glaciers are critical to the water cycle. They provide essential supplies of fresh water for drinking water, for sanitation systems, agriculture, industry, clean energy production and healthy ecosystems. We are told that glaciers are melting faster than ever before.
Perhaps it is a little surprising that World Water Day focuses on glacier preservation, as glaciers are believed to be thousands of miles away from where we live. But we are learning the important part they play in the bigger picture of the importance of water on planet Earth. Water Day is a day to remember that water is an essential element for all life on planet Earth.
First and foremost, on Water Day we should thank our loving God and Creator for giving us this wonderful life-giving gift. In the first book of the Bible, we read how and why God gave us the gift of water in His plan for all of creation. World Water Day is a time to ask how we can better appreciate and use the water we deal with day by day. We start in our homes, asking the question how are we using the wonderful gift of water, or sadly perhaps abusing and wasting this gift.
And we then look at the sources of water that are closest to us like ponds, rivers and lakes and what we should do to keep them safe and clean. Because water is necessary for all of us, we need to take strong action, individually, in our families, in our schools, in our churches, in all our communities, in our workplaces, and in all levels of government about how we can better protect and provide water for our lives, and for all people on planet Earth.
WWD is about accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis beginning with the place where we live. As water is necessary for all life it is considered a human right for all people throughout the world. But sadly, on this World Water Day we are faced with the reality that 2.2 billion of our brothers and sisters on planet Earth live without access to safe clean water which has devastating impacts on the health and very life of whole societies. Some may ask: Why do people live in places without clean water? Most of these people do not have much choice in where they live. Many reside in the same communities they were born in – which they have called home for generations.
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The Right to Water and Sanitation – A Practical Guide November 2nd, 2011
On 28 July 2010 the United Nations General Assembly officially recognised the Human Right to Water and Sanitation. To help make this Human Right a reality, Franciscans International and WaterLex have co-developed a learning manual for grassroots religious communities.
The purpose of this manual is to provide interested communities with an overview and some tools to address water access and governance challenges in everyday life. It explains progressively, over 7 sections, how to become aware of water and sanitation challenges as well as the planning of facilitation and advocacy activities at the local, national and international level.
Mandate for Special Rapporteur on Water and Sanitation Adopted by UN HR Council March 25th, 2011
Winnemem Wintu Chief and Spiritual Leader Caleen Sisk-Franco discusses her village's sewer system with the U.N. Independent Expert Catarina de Albuquerque.
The UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution this morning extending the mandate on the human right to safe water and sanitation for another three years, and changing the powers of the Independent Expert to that of a special rapporteur.
This is good news. The mandate will continue with Catarina de Albuquerque in the position of Special Rapporteur. In this position, she will have enhanced powers: in addition to assisting governments to define the scope and content of the rights, she can engage with governments about complaints from affected individuals, communities, and civil society organizations on issues related to and possible violations of the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation.
Furthermore, the resolution explicitly states the full list of criteria for the human rights to water and sanitation. These are listed below:
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