On March 22nd, World Water Day 2017, Pope Francis will inspire a global conversation. His address from the Vatican will help shift how the world values and understands its single most precious resource: water. Immediately following the Papal address, at 10:30 a.m. CET, 400 thought leaders from around the world will convene at WATERSHED. These policy makers and academics, together with students, artists, business leaders and men and women from the most at-risk populations will begin an unprecedented dialogue around the value and values of water.
The conference is co-hosted by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture and the Club of Rome.
Collaborating partners include Circle of Blue, with input from the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on the Environment.
Globally, the vast majority of all the wastewater from our homes, cities, industry and agriculture flows back to nature without being treated or reused – polluting the environment, and losing valuable nutrients and other recoverable materials.
Instead of wasting wastewater, we need to reduce and reuse it.
In our homes, we can reuse greywater on our gardens and plots. In our cities, we can treat and reuse wastewater for green spaces. In industry and agriculture, we can treat and recycle discharge for things like cooling systems and irrigation.
By exploiting this valuable resource, we will make the water cycle work better for every living thing. And we will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 6 target to halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and increase water recycling and safe reuse.
Are you a waster?
The answer is yes – we’re all wasters when it comes to wastewater: 80% of it just flows back to nature untreated, polluting the environment and wasting a precious resource.
Let’s reduce the quantity and pollution of our wastewater, and safely reuse as much as we can.
So, don’t be a waster. Reduce and reuse wastewater.
Every time we use water, we produce wastewater. And instead of reusing it, we let 80% of it just flow down the drain. We all need to reduce and reuse wastewater as much as we can. Here are three ideas for all us wasters!
- Turn off the tap while you’re brushing your teeth or doing dishes or scrubbing vegetables. Otherwise you’re just making wastewater without even using it!
- Put rubbish, oils, chemicals, and food in the bin, not down the drain. The dirtier your wastewater, the more energy and money it costs to treat it.
- Collect used water from your kitchen sink or bathtub and use it on plants and gardens, and to wash your bike or car.
The water passing through us and our homes is on a journey through the water cycle. By reducing the quantity and pollution of our wastewater, and by safely reusing it as much as we can, we’re all helping to protect our most precious resource.
Pope Francis will address the world from the Vatican on World Water Day. His livestreamed address will inspire a global conversation around water, and shift how the world values and understands its single most precious resource.
Water activist and actor Matt Damon, NASA astronaut Dr Kathryn Sullivan, and former US President George W Bush are among the prominent figures also taking part in the livestream on March 22nd.
After the event, 400 thought leaders from around the world will convene at WATERSHED. These policy makers, academics, students, artists, business leaders and people from the most at-risk populations will begin an unprecedented dialogue around the value and values of water.
Your water story could be part of the livestream from the Vatican on World Water Day. Contribute to #MyWaterStory via Twitter, Instagram or Facebook or visit WATERSHED at www.worldwatervalues.org
https://t.co/MqhN6WJ15L Are you a waster ?On March 22nd, World Water Day 2017 #MyWaterStory, #onbeon #WorldWaterDay pic.twitter.com/y7R5N8zI3i— onbeon (@onbeon) March 20, 2017
