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WATER FOR THE FUTURE� in celebration of 2003 - “The International Year of Freshwater�


Every year, on the 22nd of March, World Water Day is celebrated globally. It is a day set aside for the world to focus on water, its development, uses and conservation measures.

SOPAC, for the past several years, has taken the lead role for World Water Day celebrations in the Pacific region and this responsibility has again been taken up for 2003.

This year, SOPAC, in collaboration with Live and Learn Environmental Education, a Fiji based Non-government organisation, will work together to ensure that our campaigns reach a wider audience than in previous years.

2003 - The International Year of Freshwater & World Water Day


The International Year of Freshwater, 2003, received its official launching at a ceremony at the United Nations in New York on December 12, 2002. The Year was declared by the UN General Assembly to fire up action on the critical water problems the world faces. The aim of the Year is to raise awareness on the importance of protecting and managing freshwater.

Additionally as part of the activities of the International Year of Freshwater, the United Nations has also declared March 22nd 2003 to be World Water Day with the theme “Water for the Future�. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the lead UN agency for World Water Day 2003 and South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) will once again take the lead for the Pacific region.

As you may already be aware a regional consultation process for the Pacific was undertaken last year led by ADB and SOPAC, as part of the preparation for a global water conference, the 3rd World Water Forum, in Japan in 2003. This consultation process provided an opportunity for the Pacific to address the actions required to achieve sustainable management of its water sector. World Water Day 2003, will usefully contribute to the public awareness of this regional preparation.
Campaign and Activities
The following activities are planned for this year’s World Water Day:

Regionally

• Development of publication material (Poster, Factsheet and Stickers) for dissemination to member countries.
• Provision of financial assistance to member countries to assist them in advertising World Water Day 2003 in newspapers, radio and magazines (Press Packs) to run their own national public awareness campaigns.

Water for the Future Poster

Sub-regional – (Fiji Islands, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea)

• Curriculum Development Support for government departments in Fiji Islands, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea to integrate water issues across the curriculum.
• Deliver training forums for teachers in Fiji Islands, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea in the field of action-based Water Education.

The material produced for regional dissemination will be incorporated into the education campaign being developed concurrently with Live & Learn in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands and Fiji Islands.


For further questions regarding SOPAC’s World Water Day campaign please contact Mr. Kamal Khatri, for further details on the regional consultation for Kyoto contact Marc Overmars.

Kamal Khatri / Marc Overmars
South Pacific Applied Geosciences Commission (SOPAC)
Private Mail Bag, GPO
Suva, Fiji

Tel: +679-381377
Fax: +679-370040
email: kamal@sopac.org / marc@sopac.org