March 22: World Water Day Press Release Text
World Water Day 2020: Water and Climate Change
The Canadian Water Resources Association (CWRA) celebrates World Water
Day.
Ottawa, ON – The Canadian Water Resources Association (CWRA) encourages all Canadians to join them
in celebrating World Water Day 2020 by recognizing the pivotal role water plays in the global climate.
World Water Day, held on March 22nd every year since 1993, is an annual United Nations Observance
focusing on the importance of freshwater. Every year, UN-Water — the UN’s coordination mechanism
on water and sanitation — sets the theme for World Water Day, highlighting a specific aspect of
freshwater management. World Water Day 2020 is all about water and climate change – and how the
two are inextricably linked. This year’s campaign shows how our use of water can help reduce floods,
droughts, scarcity, and pollution, and can help fight climate change itself. The UN World Water
Development Report is also released on World Water Day, focusing on the same topic as the campaign
and recommending policy direction to decision-makers.
The CWRA is a national organization of water resource professionals from the public, private, and
academic sectors. Members are committed to raising public awareness of the value of water and
promoting responsible and effective water resource management in Canada. We have branches in
British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and
the Maritimes.
CWRA believes that World Water Day is an important initiative. It provides us with an opportunity to
promote the need to practice sound water management and encourage the wise use of water in Canada
and around the world. Global initiatives such as World Water Day allow us to focus attention on the
importance of freshwater and advocate for its sustainable management, not only on special occasions
but every day. Less predictable weather conditions are projected to affect the availability and
distribution of rainfall, snowmelt, river flows, and groundwater, and further deteriorate water quality. It
is becoming clear that water needs to be managed with climate resilience in mind.
Throughout March, CWRA is hosting a series of webinars related to the theme of water and climate
change. Though we are no longer hosting or co-hosting in-person events this year, we encourage you to
learn more about World Water Day and our webinars by visiting our website
( www.cwra.org /en/events ), contacting your provincial CWRA branch, or visiting the UN World Water
Day 2020 website ( www.worldwaterday.org ). For more information about the link between
climate change and water, read the UN-Water Policy Brief on Climate Change and Water
( https://www.unwater.org/publications/un-water-policy-brief-on-climate-change-and-water/ ).
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For further information, please contact:
Maggie Romuld CWRA Executive Director
National Office: (613) 237-9363 ext. 1
A .pdf of this press release is available at this link.
