Days Until World Water Day

About World Water Day

Following a recommendation from the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development, the General Assembly formally established March 22 as an annual observance in 1993, focusing international attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for sustainable management of water resources.

Each year's observance addresses a specific water-related theme, from water scarcity to sanitation access, coordinated by UN-Water on behalf of the broader UN system.

The UN estimates roughly a quarter of the world's population lacks access to safely managed drinking water, a figure central to the observance's ongoing advocacy for infrastructure investment.

The day has, in various years, focused specifically on groundwater, wastewater, and the connection between water access and gender inequality, since women and girls in many regions bear a disproportionate share of water-collection labor.

UN-Water, the inter-agency body coordinating the observance, also publishes an annual World Water Development Report timed to the day, tracking global progress toward universal water and sanitation access targets.